Jimmy Butler & Draymond Green on High Alert After Stephen Curry’s Record-Breaking Deal With Warriors

The Warriors' pursuit of another star running through Stephen Curry isn't new. It's exactly what drove Draymond Green to decline his own $27.6 million player option earlier this year, a move made specifically to create the cap flexibility Golden State needed to chase LeBron James and pursue a trade for Anthony Davis.

That swing ultimately missed when James signed with Philadelphia instead. Now, Curry's newly signed extension appears to be setting up the front office for another run at it next summer, and this time Jimmy Butler and Green's own futures are in the crosshairs.

Curry agreed to a two-year, $116 million extension with the Warriors that runs through the 2028-29 season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The deal doesn't begin until the 2027-28 campaign, meaning it has zero impact on Golden State's cap situation for the coming season.

Notably, Stephen Curry left roughly $20 million on the table compared to the maximum extension he was eligible for. He took a discount that saves the Warriors close to $10 million annually.

That structure is why the deal is being read as more than just a retention move. Per The Athletic's Nick Friedell, "Curry, according to one team source, left money on the table in the deal. ...The Warriors are positioned to have plenty of cap space next summer. Jimmy Butler’s and Draymond Green’s large deals will come off the books, potentially giving Golden State an opportunity to pursue another star to pair with Curry."

Butler is playing this season on a $56.8 million salary, while Green returned on a one-year, $27.7 million deal after he opted out, combining for roughly $84.5 million in expiring money hitting the books at the same time.

Add in Brandin Podziemski's own expiring rookie-scale contract (he remains extension-eligible or could become a restricted free agent). The Warriors are staring at a genuinely open summer to reshape the roster around Curry once again.

Butler and Green were central to Golden State's push to build one final championship window around Curry. But with the front office already having shown this year it's willing to create significant cap flexibility the moment an opportunity like James presents itself, neither veteran can fully assume their spot is guaranteed beyond this season.

Curry's willingness to take less now, on a deal that doesn't kick in until after their contracts expire, only reinforces that the front office is already thinking past this current roster.

Whether that means running it back with Butler and Green, or using the space they'd free up to try again for the star that got away this summer.