The Golden State Warriors made a curious move on Saturday, officially waiving Seth Curry, whom they had signed to a one-year deal just in late September to unite him with his brother Stephen. However, this was not a sudden change of heart but a strategically calculated maneuver to navigate the NBA’s complex financial rules.
The Warriors waived Seth Curry ahead of the regular season
The core reason lies in the league’s salary cap aprons. According to data from Spotrac, the Warriors are currently over the first salary-cap apron and have just over $2 million in room before hitting the second apron. More critically, the team is hard-capped at this second apron because they used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Al Horford. This means they are absolutely prohibited from exceeding that limit.
Seth Curry’s veteran minimum contract, if activated immediately, would push the Warriors over the second apron. Therefore, technically, they simply cannot “afford” to roster him when the regular season officially tips off.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, this is merely a temporary delay. There is an expectation that Seth Curry will re-sign with the Warriors at some point during the first couple of months of the season. This is because a contract signed after the season starts becomes prorated based on the remaining schedule. By patiently waiting, the Warriors can sign Seth when the salary cap hit is reduced enough to fit within their slim space under the second apron.
The open roster spot will remain vacant until Seth’s anticipated return. Once the deal is finalized, it will mark the first time the Curry brothers have been teammates in their NBA careers, and the Warriors will add a lethal sharpshooter (shooting 45.6% from deep last season) to their offensive arsenal.