Stephen Curry’s Contract Breakdown: From $2 Million As A Rookie To $470 Million In Career NBA Salaries

It’s hard to believe that the undersized shooting guard out of Davidson has grown into the greatest shooter of all time. Stephen Curry has revolutionized the NBA and has pioneered its new era of outside shooting. Going back to the 2009 NBA Draft, Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, and Jonny Flynn were all drafted before Curry. Heck, the Timberwolves had back-to-back picks where the team drafted point guards and still passed on Curry.

Curry has made all the doubters believers as he is the highest-paid player in the NBA. Next year, he will be one of the few players to have ever earned over $50 million for a season. Curry has earned all the praise, leading the Warriors to four championships, earning two MVP Awards, and one Finals MVP as well. With three years left on his deal, we all wonder if he will join the elite company and win his fifth championship. Only time will tell but what we can do is break down Stephen Curry’s contract, which has increased by 25 times its amount since his rookie season.

Here is the contract breakdown for Stephen Curry.

2009-10 NBA Season – $2,710,560 Salary

Stats: 17.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG

After the Warriors selected Curry with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Curry immediately became one of the team’s top scorers. Curry started in 77 games in his first season and appeared in all but two contests. He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in January, March, and April. Curry was the only rookie to win that award three times, but he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Tyreke Evans.

It was the first time a Warriors player earned All-Rookie First Team since Jason Richardson in 2001-02. Curry had a rookie season that was comparable to LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Michael Jordan. He scored 30 points in eight games, which was the most since LeBron’s 13 in 2003-04. He also had five games with at least 30 points and 10 assists, which tied Jordan for second-most. Curry’s contract was the 236th highest-paid salary.

2010-11 NBA Season – $2,913,840 Salary

Stats: 18.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG

In his second season, Curry set the record for a three-throw percentage. Curry shot 93.4% at the free-throw line, making 212 of 227 free throws. It was also the first time that a Warriors player led the league in free throw percentage since Mark Price during the 1996-97 season. Curry was a member of the Sophomore team at the All-Star Game, where he recorded 13 points and eight assists. Curry also won the Skills Challenge at ASG Weekend.

Curry recorded at least 20 points in 35 of the 74 games that he played. All of his appearances were starts. At the end of the season, he missed the last stretch of games due to surgery on his right ankle. His year was capped by winning the Sportsmanship Award. Curry’s contract was the 221st highest-paid salary.

2011-12 NBA Season – $2,508,901 Salary

Stats: 14.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG

This season was cut short due to the lockout. It was lucky that the season was shortened due to the healing process for Curry. He missed 40 games due to right ankle and foot injuries. The ankle was not healing at a fast rate, so this wound up being his worst offensive year on paper.

Curry played in 26 games, making 23 starts. He missed the final 28 games because his right ankle was sprained, and he would receive another surgery on it. This time, he went into the next season fully healed. Curry’s contract was the 204th highest-paid salary.

2012-13 NBA Season – $3,958,742 Salary

Stats: 22.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

The back-to-back ankle surgeries did not scare the Warriors from wanting to invest in Curry. Before the season, Curry signed a four-year, $44 million extension with the Warriors. Because of the ankle surgery, media members thought the most was risky, but Curry proved that this was wrong down the line.

This season saw the growth of Curry and Klay Thompson as the “Splash Brothers.” The two grew the brand after the two players were notorious for shooting 3-point shots. Curry had his best statistical season out of his rookie contract by posting a career-high in scoring. His 22.9 points per game were seventh in the league. He also set the new NBA single-season 3-point field goal record with 272. This broke the old record set by Ray Allen (269 during the 2005-06 season). Curry’s contract was the 180th highest-paid salary.

2013-14 NBA Season – $9,887,642 Salary

Stats: 24.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Curry finished the season with the seventh-best scoring mark for the second year in a row. Curry also set a franchise record by becoming the first Warriors player to average at least 24 points and eight assists in a season. Curry led the league in 3-point field goals with 261. It was the first time since Ray Allen that a player led the league in three-pointers for three consecutive seasons.

With his All-NBA Second Team appearance, Curry became the first Warriors player to make an All-NBA Team since 1994. During the season, Curry broke Jason Richardson’s record for all-time three-pointers. Richardson had owned the mark with 700 until Curry quickly did away with that. The Warriors made the players but were defeated by the Clippers in the first round. Curry’s contract took a massive jump this season and was the 62nd highest-paid salary.

2014-15 NBA Season – $10,629,213 Salary

Stats: 23.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Before the season, the Warriors hired Steve Kerr to replace Mark Jackson as the new head coach. Kerr’s new system allowed Curry and Thompson to shoot more freely. This helped the Warriors evolve into a championship contender. With Curry’s outside shooting on display, fans quickly took notice, and he was the No. 1 vote-getter for the All-Star Game.

Curry won the MVP Award after leading the Warriors to 67 wins. He also broke his record for 3-point field goals in a season. He did this despite sitting out 17 fourth quarters due to the Warriors blowing out opponents. In the playoffs, the Warriors won the championship. Curry averaged 26.0 points and 6.3 assists in the Finals but did not win the Finals MVP Award. Curry’s contract was the 60th highest-paid salary.

2015-16 NBA Season – $11,370,786 Salary

Stats: 30.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG

This remains one of the most legendary seasons ever, and Curry was getting paid $11.3 million to do it, which was the 65th highest-paid salary at the time. Curry scored 118 points in his first three games of the season, which was the first time a player did something like that since Michael Jordan in 1989-90. The Warriors became the first team in NBA history to start 16-0 and eventually started the season with 24 straight wins. The Warriors eventually won an NBA-record 73 regular season games to break the old record of 72 set by the Chicago Bulls in the 1995-96 season.

Curry achieved many milestones for the season. That included becoming the first player ever to make at least 400 three-pointers in a season. He also became the seventh player to join the 50-40-90 Club. He led the league in scoring and steals to become the first unanimous selection at MVP. In the playoffs, the Warriors made the NBA Finals but blew a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers to fall short of winning the championship.

2016-17 NBA Season – $12,112,359 Salary

Stats: 25.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG

After falling short of the title, the Warriors welcomed a new addition of Kevin Durant, to the team. Curry’s salary was 82nd in the league, while Durant was the second-highest-paid player. The former four-time scoring champion joined a core of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green. In the early stages of the season, Curry’s NBA record of 157 straight games with at least one three-pointer was snapped. He would later set an NBA record for 3-point field goals in a game with 13 against the Pelicans. By the end of the season, Curry became the first player ever to make at least 200 three-pointers in five consecutive seasons.

With Durant on the team, it helped alleviate some of the offensive duties of Curry, but he still managed to average over 25 points per game. In the playoffs, Curry passed Rick Barry to become the all-time leading scorer for the franchise. The team made the NBA Finals, where Durant won the Finals MVP Award. Curry helped clinch the championship game with 34 points and 10 assists.

2017-18 NBA Season – $34,682,550 Salary

Stats: 26.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

After winning his second title in three seasons, Curry agreed to a five-year, $201 extension with the Warriors. This vaulted Curry to the top of the league in salary. It was the first time that a player signed a supermax contract worth over $200 million. Curry reached the 2,000th 3-point field goal mark. It took Curry 597 games, which was 227 less than Allen when he first did it. Unfortunately, Curry had to miss significant time during this season, which included 11 games for an ankle injury and then six weeks due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee.

With Durant, Thompson, and Green helping carry the load, the Warriors made the playoffs. Curry missed time but returned to help keep the Warriors alive in the Conference Finals against the Rockets. In Game 7, Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists in the 101-92 victory over James Harden and Chris Paul. In the Finals, Curry set an NBA record for nine 3-point field goals in Game 2. The Warriors swept the Cavaliers in four games as Durant won the Finals MVP Award despite public support claiming Curry had the better Finals.

2018-19 NBA Season – $37,457,154 Salary

Stats: 27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Curry set an NBA record by making five 3-point field goals or more in the first seven games of the season, breaking the old record of six set by George McCloud in 1995-96. The Warriors started the season 10-1, but the injury bug hit Curry again. A strained left groin sidelined Curry for 11 games. Curry returned in December and later joined the 15K point club with Golden State. He also moved into third place all-time in three-pointers behind Reggie Miller and Ray Allen.

Curry would set the new record for postseason 3-point field goals after passing Allen (385). The Warriors would make the NBA Finals for a fifth consecutive season. Curry scored at least 35 points in the first four games of the season. Curry and Green became the first pair of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game in Game 4. However, an injury to both Durant and Thompson in the series allowed the Raptors to overtake the series and defeated Golden State in six games. Curry was the highest-paid player in the league, making just short of $2 million more than Russell Westbrook.

2019-20 NBA Season – $40,231,758 Salary

Stats: 20.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG

After Durant left the Warriors to sign with the Nets, as well as Thompson being out for the entire season, Curry was expected to take over the team’s primary offensive duties. However, Curry’s season was cut to just five games. In the fourth season game, Curry collided with Aron Baynes, who fell on his left hand. The injury required surgery to repair a broken second metacarpal.

Curry returned for one game in March, but the team was out of the playoff race. With Curry and Thompson out, the Warriors stumbled to one of the worst records in the NBA. After five trips to the NBA Finals, the team found themselves in the lottery, where the Warriors were given the No. 2 overall pick. Curry was the highest-paid player in the league, making about $1.7 million more than Chris Paul.

2020-21 NBA Season – $40,491,877 Salary

Stats: 32.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Before the season, Thompson sustained another injury that forced him to miss another season. Curry was back and healthy, though, and looked like an MVP contender throughout the season. Curry’s outside shooting was one of the best of his career, and that led to him beating out Bradley Beal for the scoring title. That included an 11-game stretch where Curry scored at least 30 points in each game, surpassing the previous record set by Kobe Bryant for a player 33 years old or older. During that span, Curry nailed 78 three-pointers, the most in NBA history for 11 games.

Curry averaged over 35 points per game for April, which included an NBA record 96 three-pointers. His final game of the season featured 46 points to win the scoring title. With Curry’s play, the Warriors qualified for the play-in tournament but lost to the Grizzlies to miss the playoffs. Curry was the highest-paid player in the league, making about $1.8 million more than Russell Westbrook.

2021-22 NBA Season – $45,780,966 Salary

Stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Curry opened the season with a triple-double, and it felt like the Warriors were finally back. Curry was healthy, Thompson was expected back at some point during the season, while Andrew Wiggins showed All-Star flashes during the season. It also featured the moment that we all were waiting for. In December, Curry made his 2,974th three-pointer to pass Ray Allen as the all-time leader in 3-point field goals.

At the All-Star Game, Curry won the All-Star Game MVP after scoring 50 points, which was two points shy of the ASG record set by Anthony Davis in 2017. With 16 three-pointers, he set an ASG record. Curry also recorded his 20,000th career point during the season and then his 500th career three-pointer in the playoffs. The Warriors made it back to the NBA Finals and defeated the Celtics in six games. Curry was named the Western Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP during the run. In the Finals, Curry averaged 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. Curry was the highest-paid player in the league, making about $1.4 million more than James Harden.

2022-23 NBA Season – $48,070,014 Salary

Stats: 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Going into this season, the Warriors were expected to be a favorite to win the championship after locking in Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins in the offseason. The team also expected Thompson to enter the regular season healthy. The season has been underwhelming to start. The team has battled some injuries and has gotten off to a 19-18 start, which is good enough for ninth place in the NBA standings.

The season has featured some impressive moments for Curry. On November 16, Curry scored 50 points to tie Michael Jordan for the second-most 50-point games after turning 30 years old. Curry, Thompson, and Wiggins combined for 23 three-pointers in a win over the Rockets, which was the most three-pointers by a trio of players in NBA history. Curry is currently out with an injury and has not played since December 14th against the Pacers. Curry is the highest-paid player in the league, making about $700,000 more than John Wall.

Future Contracts

2023-24 NBA Season – $51,915,615

2024-25 NBA Season – $55,761,216

2025-26 NBA Season – $59,606,817

Curry will be the highest-paid player for the next three seasons if this holds. That means that Curry would be the highest-paid player in the NBA for nine straight seasons. Curry’s salary in 2023-24 is over $4 million more than Kevin Durant for second place. Curry’s salary in 2024-25 is about $4.5 million more than Durant, while his 2025-26 salary is about $1.1 million more than Damian Lillard’s.

Career Earnings – $470,090,010

If we look at Curry’s all-time earnings through this season (2023), Curry is the fourth-highest-paid player in NBA history. His $354.7 million trails LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul. However, Curry’s place in league history changes if we move the needle through his all-time earnings when his contract ends in 2026. Curry’s career earnings put him in third place behind LeBron James ($529,411,107) and Kevin Durant ($498.6 million).

Curry will be 38 years old in 2026 when he can become a free agent. If James retires in 2026, he will have played 22 seasons in the NBA. Curry will have 17 seasons. Assuming Curry plays four more seasons, he could make a run at going past Durant or James in career earnings. With that said, there are also three other members of the $400 million club Chris Paul ($419.9 million), Bradley Beal ($428.8 million), and Damian Lillard ($449.9 million), that could be in the conversation as well.

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