Golden State Warriors Underpay Stephen Curry; Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut Get Higher Pay than LeBron James' Nemesis [Rumors]

Stephen Curry On Court During a Game
Stephen Curry playing against the Washington Wizards on March 2011. |

The Golden State Warriors are having a phenomenal run this season. With a 24-game winning streak to start off their NBA regular season, Stephen Curry and his team were on a roll. In every game since the basketball year started, fans of the Golden State Warriors witnessed the incredible performance of Curry in the court. While Klay Thompson is the other half of the widely acclaimed Splash Brothers, it is clear why Curry is the NBA MVP. Beating Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and Houston Rockets' James Harden for the prestigious award, Curry has become one of the most notables players in the league today.

Hence, it came as a surprise to find out that the NBA MVP is the only the fifth highest paid player in the Golden State Warriors roster. According to Yahoo Sports, Curry's salary is lower than Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut. At the moment, Curry is under a $44 million contract which he signed late 2012. This amount, according to reports, is equivalent to those offered to rookies in the league. While this kind of deal would have caused a number of NBA stars to demand restructuring, Curry appears to be accepting of his situation.

"I had to make a conscious decision and remind myself over and over [to let it go]," shared the NBA MVP. Curry added, "I could've had a different perspective and said, 'I want to get everything that I could get, wait it out, test free agency that next year - and who knows what would've happened? But for me, a $44 million contract was plenty for me to be able to provide for my family. When I made a decision to sign an extension, I told myself that was the right decision for the moment."

Curry signed the contract at the time when he was a high-risk player for the Golden State Warriors. Back in 2012, the other half of the Splash Brothers showed signs of an unstable ankle - an injury that could potentially get him out of the hardwood for months or even for an entire season.

"And, yeah, you should get paid market value, paid for what you're worth, but at the time, for four years, I was comfortable with it," Curry further shared. He added, "You can't look back, because it'll bring negativity. It'll cause dissension in the team if you allow it to."

Curry went on to share that he could no longer invoke ways to amend the contract he is dealt with. Instead, the Golden State Warriors star opted to simply deal with the situation and let things fall into place. He said, "Number one, there's nothing I can do about it. There's no point to moaning and complaining and trying to change something that really can't be changed. I knew there might be a time down the road, after all the ankle injuries, that if I'm playing to my potential, it's going to be human nature to think, 'Oh, I should've done this, or that.'"

The NBA MVP also disclosed that in 2012, he sought the counsel of his loved ones, his own agent and reflected if it was the right decision to sign the extension with the Golden State Warriors. When he considered his ankle injury, Curry felt that the contract offered would provide him stability and allow him to take care of his family. Hence, he decided to take the leap and shared that the other blessings that came his way after the contract were just "icing on the cake."

"On the back end, when this is all said and done, things will come around the right way," Curry shared. He added, "It's nice to know that I got a championship out of it, an MVP season out of it, and hopefully setting up for something better down the line. I'm taken care of, and I'm thankful that I can be on the court able to play at a high level. I'm thankful it's not the other way around, that I didn't become an overpaid player. That's a different conversation."