The general concept of having the Curry brothers, Stephen and Seth, on the roster has to appeal to the Warriors. Stephen is the franchise icon and, boy, could they use Seth.
The possibility might never be more realistic than it will be this summer.
Their father, Dell Curry, sees it as a “longshot,” but sees the benefit. He pointed out as much Thursday in a Zoom conference promoting the American Century Golf Championship that begins July 12 at Edgewood Tahoe.
“There’s always that possibility,” Dell Curry said. “The salary cap and all that is going to come into play. But I think that would be a good market for Seth as a shooter. We know how important 3s are, and he’s one of the best in the league to do it.”
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Stephen Curry is the all-time 3-point shooting king. Seth Curry, however, has a higher percentage. His 43.5-percent mark ranks sixth on the career list and third on the active list. Stephen’s 42.8-percent mark is 12th on the career list and fourth on the active list. For the sake of comparison, Klay Thompson’s 41.6-percent mark is 18th and seventh.
In a league more focused on deep shooting than ever, the Warriors’ 38.5-percent shooting beyond the arc was good enough for No. 2 in the NBA, behind the Philadelphia 76ers’ 38.7. That’s a terrific percentage, but it’s deceptive relative to the team.
With Steph (42.7 percent) and Klay (41.2) removed from the equation, the drop among the rest of the roster was steep. No one else among the regular rotation players, only Donte DiVincenzo (39.7 percent) and Andrew Wiggins (39.6) topped 37 percent.
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But here’s why the Curry brothers are even possible: Stephen is 35 and has three seasons remaining on his Warriors contract; Seth, who turns 33 in August, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Seth Curry’s expiring contract, signed with the Dallas Mavericks, was worth $32 million over four years. That represents nearly three-quarters of his career earnings – which equals less than Steph’s salary last season.
Which brings the idea to the financials. How much will Seth Curry command as the top 3-point shooter in a relatively deep market? And how much are the Warriors, facing a mammoth luxury-tax bill, willing to spend?
There could be a significant difference, which could turn the Warriors toward shooters elsewhere in the market, where they could shop the likes of veterans Danny Green and Wayne Ellington, as well as ex-Warriors Damion Lee and Justin Holiday. Or to a younger group, which would include Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Bryn Forbes.
As pure shooters go, Seth is the best of the bunch. He has worn eight different jerseys and surely will be seeking a multiyear contract that would be even more enticing than playing with the brother he loves.
Or so one would think.
“It’s always a possibility,” Dell said. “I’m not sure what they think about it, especially Seth. Seth has always been a guy that wants to make his own way, write his own story, create his own narrative.”
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Steph would welcome it. Seth last summer expressed no yearning desire to join his brother but did not dismiss the idea.
"You never know what the future holds," he told NBC Sports Bay Area. "I wouldn't be against it.
“But it's definitely not my preferred choice to be on the same team as him definitely right now. I also like competing against him and trying to beat the best."
That was Seth’s mentality last July. The Warriors owe it to themselves to discover if he would be more willing to embrace the possibility now.
Never sleep on a shooter, even if it is a long shot
