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The Golden State Warriors announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year contract option on guard Stephen Curry and the third-year contract option on forward Ekpe Udoh, which are both for the 2012-13 NBA season.
Curry, 23, appeared in 74 games last season, averaging 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.47 steals in 33.6 minutes per contest, while leading the NBA in free throw percentage (.934) and ranking third in three-point percentage (.442). Overall in two NBA seasons, the 6’3” guard has appeared in 154 games, averaging 18.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.69 steals in 35.0 minutes per contest.
Udoh, 24, appeared in 58 games last season, averaging 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.48 blocks in 17.8 minutes per contest during his rookie campaign. The 6’10” forward started 18 games on the season, averaging 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.28 blocks in 25.5 minutes in those assignments.
Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option. Curry was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, while Udoh was selected by Golden State with the sixth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Obviously it was an easy call to keep Steph Curry around. As for Udoh, he’s shown very good rebounding and shot-blocking ability in limited minutes, so the Warriors want to keep checking him out to see if he’s worth having long-term interest in.
