George traded to Thunder.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has clinched a new five-year deal worth $201 million, the richest contract in NBA history, ESPN reported on Friday.
Curry, who recently helped the Warriors to their second NBA Finals crown in three years, is the first player to break the $200 million barrier, ESPN said, citing the player’s agent Jeff Austin.
News of the agreement wipes away any uncertainty concerning the future of Curry, who had been on a four-year contract worth a relatively modest $44 million until his new deal.
Despite being one of the league’s highest profile stars, Curry had languished way down the pecking order of the NBA’s best-paid players.
According to the basketball-reference.com website, Curry had been the 82nd best-paid player in the league, earning just over $12.1 million last season.
That figure is dwarfed by the league’s highest-earner, LeBron James, who stands to earn $33.3 million next season and $35.6 million in 2018-2019.
Curry’s existing contract had been agreed when there were still doubts about his long-term fitness, with the player thought to have issues concerning the durability of his ankles.
Meantime, Indiana Pacers star Paul George is set to join the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster deal that will see Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis head in the opposite direction, reports said Friday.
ESPN reported that four-time All-Star forward George heads to the Thunder despite pledging to remain with the Pacers for the 2017-2018 season.
George, 27, had been widely linked to a 2018 move to the Los Angeles Lakers when he becomes a free agent next year.
