Pacific Notes: Curry, Lacob, Mbah a Moute

It’s no secret that, despite the MVPs, Stephen Curry makes less money than some of his Warriors teammates do. The superstar guard is okay with it. “If I’m complaining about $44MM over four years, then I’ve got other issues in my life,” Curry told the Mercury News in a podcast.

Of course Curry is in line for a hefty pay raise as soon as this summer. Per Chris Haynes of ESPN, Curry will be eligible for a five-year extension worth roughly $210MM and you can be sure that the Warriors will present it to him as soon as they’re able too.

Though it would make little basketball sense for Curry to leave an elite level like a contender, the latest CBA makes it harder to justify on a financial level, too. Were Curry to consider options other than the Warriors, he could only receive $140MM over four years.

“Like I’ve said from Day 1, when I was first asked about free agency, this is a perfect place to play. Bay Area fans are amazing, our organization’s amazing, we’ve put together an amazing team that’s competing for championships every year,” Curry said. “There’s really no reason that I can see right now that would draw me elsewhere.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

• The Warriors have seven centers on their roster — eight if you include Draymond Green. Tim Kawakami and Marcus Thompson of the Mercury News spoke with assistant general manager Kirk Lacob about how the club structured the roster coming out of training camp and what might come next.
• Though not as frequently featured on highlight reels as some of his teammates, Luc Mbah a Moute has had a significant impact on the Clippers, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Head coach Doc Rivers agrees, offering some bold praise about the 30-year-old veteran. “He is one of the best defensive players in the league, bar none, but because he’s not a scorer, no one really notices, but that’s his value to a team.”
• Despite their consecutive NBA Finals matchups,  LeBron James does not believe the Cavaliers and Warriors have a rivalry. “We’ve had two great Finals appearances the last two years,” James told the media. “But I had the same with San Antonio when I was in Miami. We weren’t rivals. And I think I played those guys more, so I wouldn’t look at it as rivals.”