ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins called out the Golden State Warriors' front office during an appearance on ESPN's NBA Today.
Perkins argued that the Warriors cannot afford to wait when it comes to Stephen Curry's future, stressing that the franchise must re-sign its longtime star and continue putting the right pieces around him while respecting the loyalty he has shown throughout his career.
"The Warriors don't have the option to wait on nothing when it comes to Steph Curry. Steph Curry, and I say this with all due respect to Willie Mays and Barry Barnes and Joe Montana and Steve Young and Jared Rice, Steph Curry is the greatest Bay Area player to ever get his feet high. And loyalty in today's game, you don't see that from players," Perkins stated.
"The fact that Steph Curry has been riding with them over the last three or four years knowing that he wants to win a championship. To me, what this interview said to me is, Mike Dunleavy, you have to your damn job," he added, directing his criticism at Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Perkins also expressed frustration with Golden State repeatedly being linked to star players without ultimately landing them.
"Let's be honest. I don't want to keep hearing about reports that the Warriors are in the hunt. The Warriors are in the mix. They're trying to, they was in the mix to get Giannis. They want to out there and get that. Why are you not landing them? We're talking about Steph Curry. And I take it a step further. In my eyes, he's the greatest point guard of all time."
"We can argue about if he's a point guard or not. Damn it, he's listed as PG. Mike Dunleavy has to have some type of accountability to make sure that he put the pieces and do his damn job to surround Steph, Draymond, and Steve Kerr with a championship roster to be able to compete."
Stephen Curry Warriors extension details
Stephen Curry
Credit IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect - Scanpix
Stephen Curry
Since Aug. 29, Stephen Curry has been extension-eligible for the Golden State Warriors.
He can sign a two-year, $136.7 million max extension with the Dubs at any time between now and June 30 next year.
The two-time MVP still has one more year left on his contract and will earn $62.5 million in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Curry remains highly productive as one of the best players in the world. He averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds for the Warriors last NBA season.
However, he played in just 43 games, with Golden State falling to the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament.
Stephen Curry wants to stay, retire in Golden State
Amid rumors and skepticism regarding his extension with the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry has already reiterated that his desire to retire in the Bay Area remains unchanged.
"Not at all. I've always stated that I wanna be a lifer with Golden State," Curry answered when asked whether it would appeal to him to go through a free agency process like LeBron James did this summer.
"What we've built there, the fact that I get to run it back this year with Draymond and Coach Kerr. All the contract stuff, this NBA thing from year to year is so crazy. Things change really fast. But I do know my interest and mission to stay in Golden State and be competitive is there, and the contract stuff will take care of itself."