The Golden State Warriors' ascent to the top of the NBA has been part smart team-building and part luck.

They've made savvy draft choices, signings, and trades, and gotten a little bit of luck with players staying healthy and draft picks exceeding expectations.

No matter how you look at it, though, the Warriors' success this season isn't a fluke, and they have one key competitive advantage over the rest of the NBA that could help them dominate for a while.

Compared to other NBA title contenders, the Warriors' best players are on remarkably cheap contracts.

Stephen Curry, a leading MVP candidate, is only the 51st-highest-paid player in the NBA. Only one Warriors player, David Lee, made $15 million or more in 2014-15.

Golden State doesn't just have players on cheap, team-friendly deals — they have them signed long-term. Whereas many top teams tie up a large percentage of their payroll in one or two All-Stars, Curry and Klay Thompson take up less than a fifth of the Warriors' payroll. They also have valuable role players on relatively cheap contracts, which has helped them create a deep, talented team.

Here's a look at the 2014-15 salaries of the Warriors' top-10 players by minutes played (via Basketball-Reference):

• Stephen Curry — $10.6 million
• Draymond Green — $915,243
• Klay Thompson — $3.1 million
• Harrison Barnes — $3.05 million
• Andre Iguodala — $12.3 million
• Andrew Bogut — $12.9 million
• Shaun Livingston — $5.3 million
• Marreese Speights — $3.7 million
• Leandro Barbosa — $1.4 million
• David Lee — $15 million

Curry (signed through 2016-17) is arguably the biggest bargain in the NBA. He's one of the best players in the league, but will be paid like a second- or third-best player on a championship team for the next two years.

Elsewhere, the Warriors have managed their payroll wisely. They gave Andrew Bogut a three-year, $42 million extension in 2013, but it declines in annual value in order to be more team-friendly, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. In 2015-16, Bogut will make an even $12 million, which is fine rate for one of the NBA's best defenders.

Last summer the Warriors locked up Klay Thompson to a four-year, $69 million extension. The Warriors essentially gave him a max extension, with a starting salary of $15.5 million. That's going to look cheap in a few years. With the salary cap projected to jump to nearly $90 million in 2016-17, a max extension for a player coming off his rookie deal will start at around $22 million a year from now. The Warriors basically gave Thompson an unofficial max contract and locked in his salary through 2018-19 at a rate well below what a future max contract will be when the cap rises.

Iguodala is a bit pricey as a sixth man, but he remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and helps run the offense when the starters sit.

All four of these guys — Curry, Thompson, Bogut, and Iguodala — are signed through 2016-17.

The Warriors have one big financial decision to face this summer: re-signing Draymond Green. Green has emerged as the defensive lynchpin for the Warriors — a 6'6" forward capable of defending five positions and spreading the floor as an undersized big man.

He's likely to command a max contract as a restricted free agent this offseason, and it's up to the Warriors to decide whether to match. If the Warriors match a max contract offer from another team, they'd be adding about $71 million over four years to their payroll. If their payroll stays the same next season, Green's $16.8 million salary in 2015-16 would take their total payroll to ~$100 million. In that scenario, they'd have to pay the luxury tax, which penalizes teams for every dollar they spend over the tax line.

However, the Warriors could get around it by trying to move David Lee's $15.5 million expiring contract. Even when he's healthy, Lee doesn't fit the team's offensive or defensive scheme and has fallen out of the rotation. Though the 2015-16 tax line is yet to be determined, by signing Green and trading Lee, they would effectively swap contracts and go back below the tax line.

The worst-case scenario for the Warriors isn't even all that bad of a situation. Green is so vital to the Warriors' success that even if they can't move Lee's contract, Green would be worth keeping at almost any price. The Warriors would have to pay the luxury tax for one season — a frequent occurrence for championship-contending teams — but they'd go back under the tax line in 2016.

Here's where it gets insane. In 2016-17, the year of the massive salary cap explosion, the Warriors, like much of the NBA, will be under the salary cap. 

The summer of 2016 free agency will be bananas, with hoards of players entering free agency in hopes of a big payday during the biggest cap jump in NBA history. DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony recently tweeted the NBA's projected cap numbers for future seasons:

The Warriors only have five players under contract for 2016-17. Add in Green's $17.5 million salary (if he gets a max contract) and their payroll will be at $74.2 million. If they move Shaun Livingston's $5.8 million salary that summer, they'll have about $20 million in cap space — maybe enough for another All-Star.

Their depth would be stripped but a top six of Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Green, Bogut, and an All-Star would be insanity, and the rest of the rotation wouldn't matter.

The Warriors will eventually have to make some tough contract decisions in 2017, when Thompson is the only player under contract. At that point, Curry will get a raise that will likely hover around $30 million per season, and the Warriors might have a tough time finding players of Bogut or Iguodala's caliber to sign team-friendly deals.

In the meantime, the Warriors have a young, dominant core locked up, and their best players are still growing and evolving. With a slew of team-friendly deals in place, the Warriors can still add to that core and conceivably get even better.

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Stephen Curry had his biggest moment yet when he hit two three-pointers in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans. Golden State Warriors eventually pulled away in OT and took a 3-0 lead.

Curry has a history of ridiculous shots. The game-tying shot is the most ridiculous one yet.

The Warriors were trailing the Pelicans by 20 points entering the fourth quarter. However, after Curry hit one 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, he hit another with 2.8 seconds left over two defenders, including Anthony Davis who was flying directly at Curry.

Here is another angle of the shot which shows that there probably should have also been a foul to make it a 4-point play as Curry got clobbered before he completed the act of shooting.

It also sure looks like Curry released the shot with his eyes closed.

Needless to say, Curry was pretty pumped and the Warriors went on to take a commanding lead in the series.

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The Golden State Warriors overcame a five-point deficit in the final 12 seconds, hit a ridiculous three-pointer to force overtime, and beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-119 in the most dramatic game of the playoffs so far.

When you break down the final 12 seconds, you find that a combination of New Orleans's errors, Golden State's savviness, and Stephen Curry's brilliance formed the perfect storm that resulted in the most unlikely of finishes.

Here's how it happened.

Down 107-102 with 11.8 seconds left, Curry pump-faked Jrue Holiday out of the gym and hit a three to make it 107-105:

Anthony Davis got fouled and had a chance to end the game with two free throws. Instead, he missed the first and made the second to make it 108-105 with 9.6 seconds left:

That's when things went bananas. The Warriors inbounded the ball to Curry and he missed a shot, but Marresse Speights got the rebound and passed it back to Curry in the corner, who hit a game-tying three-pointer over two defenders.

Here's the full sequence (breakdown below):

First of all, Curry is really lucky that his first shot missed. Why? Because his foot was on the line. It would have been 108-107 Pelicans if this had gone in:

If New Orleans simply grabbed the rebound, they would have won. Instead, Anthony Davis failed to box out Marresse Speights, who ended up in the right place at the right time:

Look at where Speights was when the original shot went up. Nearly 20 feet from the basket:

After the shot, Curry's defender Quincey Pondexter lost track of Curry. Pondexter jumped out on Draymond Green while Curry leaked to the corner, where he had enough space for the shot:

Curry never stopped moving:

Finally, Curry hit one of the most ridiculous shots you'll ever see with 2.8 seconds left to force OT:

The Pelicans had every chance to win this game. Davis could have made a free throw. Pondexter could have stayed on Curry after the initial miss. Davis could have boxed out. But ultimately they gave Curry a half of a chance to burn them, and he did.

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The Golden State Warriors overcame a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 4 of their playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans thanks to a bunch of breaks going their way and one ridiculous shot from Stephen Curry.

The chart below, based on data generated by Inpredictable.com, shows just how improbable the comeback was.

With the Warriors trailing 89-69 at the start of the fourth quarter, they had just a 0.9% chance of winning the game. Things weren't much better when the Pelicans held a five-point lead with 17 seconds left and the Warriors still had just a 1.1% chance of winning. But then Curry hit two big threes to send the game into overtime and never looked back.

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There were so many small factors that went against the New Orleans Pelicans on Stephen Curry's insane game-tying three pointer in Game 3 of the playoffs.

After the game, many were asking the same question: why didn't the Pelicans foul Stephen Curry before the shot that sent the game to overtime with 2.8 seconds left?

Fouling when you're up by three points at the at the end of a game so the opposing team doesn't have the chance to make a game-tying three pointer might be the most divisive tactic in the NBA.

Some believe you should always foul when you're up three. Others think you should play out the possession.

The danger is that you could foul a shooter while he's shooting a three-pointer, sending him to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game. It also creates the possibility that a shooter could make the three-pointer and get fouled for a chance to win the game with a four-point play.

The Pelicans faced this dilemma Thursday night: up 108-105 with 9.6 seconds left, should they foul and send the Warriors to the line? Or should they let the defense play out the possession?

The Pelicans had several chances to foul Curry on the final possession, but it's tough to blame them for not doing it. Quincy Pondexter, who guarded Curry, held off when Curry first caught the ball because it looked like he was going to shoot. Curry, the NBA's most lethal three-point shooter, is the last person a defense wants to foul in the shooting motion.

As ProBasketball Talk's Dan Feldman noted on the same subject, Curry took a dribble to his right after catching it, and that may have been the opportune moment to foul him.

Another mental lapse occurred when the Pelicans didn't foul Marreese Speights on the offensive rebound. While Speights is an 84% free throw shooter, it would've ensured the Warriors wouldn't get a look at a three-pointer.

Instead, of course, Speights got the ball to Curry in the corner and he hit the shot of the playoffs.

Pelicans coach Monty Williams said after the game, "They shouldn't have even had that shot take place. We just didn't execute. We were supposed to foul."

The Pelicans were unlikely to win this series, but they nearly had Game 3 locked up. With another game at home, they'd be 2-1 with a chance to tie the series and make it really competitive.

Now they're down 3-0, a deficit that's never been surmounted in NBA playoff history, and likely facing elimination.

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Three years after injuries threatened to derail his career, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is the NBA's MVP.

Though Curry was an immediately productive player upon entering the league in 2009 — an elite shooter and crafty ball-handler who looked like a borderline perennial All-Star — he struggled to stay on the court in his third year.

In 2011-12, Curry played just 26 games and was having recurring ankle problems. By the 2012 season, he'd already had two offseason ankle surgeries, and there were worries that his career would be cut short if the issues were chronic.

Despite these worries, the Warriors and Curry agreed to a four-year, $44 million extension in October 2012. Even though it was well below the maximum extension of five-years, $80 million that Curry was eligible for, the contract was considered a risk.

Grantland's Zach Lowe glowed about Curry's potential in a post about the extension, but called it a "huge bet" because "nobody has any idea if he can stay on the floor."

ProBasketball Talk's Brett Pollakoff said at the time, "The deal seems like a better one for Curry than it does for the Warriors on the surface, as the team is betting all that money that Curry’s ankle problems are a thing of the past, and that he can once again be a productive player who missed only 10 games combined over his first two NBA seasons."

Pollakoff spoke to then Warriors GM Bob Meyers, who said of the extension: "Time will tell, but we felt like obviously we put $44 million dollars on the table (to show) that we believe in him. It’s a big belief in his health; you can bet against it or you can bet on it, and we decided to bet on it."

Now, the combined $23.4 million Curry will make over the next two seasons is the best bargain in the NBA. Not only is Curry the NBA's MVP, he's the most dangerous shooter in the league — a player capable of blowing up any defensive scheme and taking over any game at any time.

His contract gives the Warriors a huge advantage going forward. Curry isn't even their third-highest player going forward. The Warriors' nucleus of Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, and Draymond Green (assuming they re-sign him this offseason) will all make eight-figure salaries going forward, but with the huge camp jump in 2016 and 2017, the Warriors should have the ability to add even more talent around that group.

That advantage will end for the Warriors in 2017 when Curry becomes a free agent and re-signing him will cost them over $30 million per season. In the meantime, the Warriors took a gamble on a promising, but risky prospect and came out far on top.

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In 2008, Stephen Curry made the decision to stay in college, passing up millions in the NBA Draft, and it turned out to be a great move for the NBA's newest MVP.

In March 2008, Curry led Davidson to the Elite 8, where they lost to eventual national champion Kansas 59-57.

Curry, who caught fire during the tournament, had become a national sensation. Rather cashing in on that newfound fame with an immediate jump to the NBA, Curry came out the day after the Kansas game and announced that he would return to Davidson for his junior season.

Not only was Curry passing up the chance to earn millions in the 2008-09 season, he was also bucking one of the biggest reasons young players enter the NBA Draft even before they are ready. That is, they want to get to the NBA as soon as possible in order to get to their potentially more lucrative second contract sooner.

But Curry saw the bigger picture. When he made his announcement, his reasoning was simple.

"I don't think I'm ready,"he said at the time.

The biggest issue was that Curry had spent his first two seasons at Davidson playing shooting guard with the older Jason Richards running the point.

Prior to announcing his return to Davidson for his junior year, one scouting report from DraftExpress.com praised Curry's shooting ability but projected him as a career backup guard in large part because he was too small to be a shooting guard and nobody knew if he could play point guard:

"He can be prone to having his shot blocked, which is due to his size just as much as it’s due to him having to take so many closely contested shots every game ... There are many question marks surrounding his game at the next level, ranging from his size to his position to how his skills will translate in general, but his talent, clutch ability, and the intangibles he brings to the table are undeniable. It’s tough to project his role at the next level at this stage of his development, but even without dramatic improvement, a Jannero Pargo or Juan Carlos Navarro type role is not very much of a stretch. If he improves on his point guard skills or grows another inch or two while adding some strength, full-fledged careers at either the PG or SG position are not out of the picture."

The next season, Davidson failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, losing in the second round of the NIT, and Curry fell off the radar of most fans. However, he had accomplished what he returned to school to do.

Curry was now a point guard and much more valuable to NBA teams.

Eleven months after their previous report on Curry, DraftExpress.com was singing a different tune and praising his decision to return to school.

"The biggest revelation of this season is the relative ease in which Curry has converted to the point guard position. Still obviously possessing a shoot-first mentality, Curry has looked fairly unselfish running his team’s offense, displaying excellent court vision and a real knack for getting teammates involved (relative to the team’s situation). He does a good job on the pick and roll, and is a much more creative passer than we were previously able to see, capable of handling the ball with either hand and being very adept at playing at different speeds. Although he’s probably never going to be a pure playmaker in the Steve Nash or Chris Paul mold, he plays the game at an excellent pace, looks extremely poised at all times, and appears to show a good enough feel for the game to at least develop into a capable facilitator."

That sounds an awful lot like the Curry we see today. By staying an extra year, Curry went from being a mid- or late-first-round pick to the sixth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Injuries ultimately slowed his progress and the Warriors were able to extend Curry with what has turned out to be the biggest bargain contract in the NBA in 2012. But at the same time, Curry was able to avoid being pigeon-holed into being a back-up role player and is instead the NBA's reigning MVP.

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The Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 110-106 in Game 1 of the NBA's Western Conference Finals thanks in large part to Stephen Curry, who scored 36 points and added six rebounds and five assists.

But the highlight of the night came after the game when Curry brought his daughter with him to sit on his lap during the post-game press conference, adding a much-needed spark to an otherwise cliche-filled expedition.

The two-year-old Riley popped out of nowhere.

She waved to the media members.

At one point she even told her daddy to be quiet before yawning herself.

Here is an adorable highlight reel put together by the NBA.

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Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry was alert and talking after he took a dramatic fall on the court Monday night. During the second quarter of Game 4 in the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets, Curry could be seen flipping over another player and landing on his back, as seen in this Vine, courtesy of Sports Illustrated's David Gardner:

Curry was able to walk off the court as the audience applauded, according to this tweet from the Warriors:

The Warriors said Curry suffered a head contusion, but he was able to return to Monday night's game, which Golden State lost, 128-115. It seems he was able to do some physical activity shortly after the fall, as noted by CBS Sports' Ken Berger:

Curry later told reporters he was "relatively OK."

Curry has become one of the most exciting players in the NBA, winning MVP on a Warriors team that finished with the best record in the NBA.

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry had 26 points and eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes added 24 points and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in 40 years with a 104-90 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

After decades of wishing and waiting for this moment, the Warriors have finally arrived.

They shook off a slow start and sweated out a shaky finish in Game 5 to close out the Rockets and set up a matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers beginning June 4.

All five Rockets starters scored at least 10 points, but MVP runner-up James Harden had a forgettable finale. Harden had a playoff-record 13 turnovers and scored 14 points on 2-of-11 shooting.

Dwight Howard led Houston with 18 points and 16 rebounds.

Yellow streams and confetti fell from the rafters when the final buzzer sounded. The Warriors shared hugs and handshakes, and the crowd chanted "M-V-P!" for Curry, who relished the moment on the court with his 2-year-old daughter, Riley.

"We deserve to celebrate tonight but we've still got unfinished business and it's a long time coming for the Bay Area," All-Star Klay Thompson said.

Curry said he had no lingering effects from his frightening fall in Game 4 that left him with a bruised head and right side. The MVP wore a protective yellow sleeve on his right arm, which he shed in the third quarter after shooting 4 for 12 and the Warriors clinging to a 52-46 halftime lead.

Things got tougher on Curry when backcourt mate Thompson faked a shot that drew Trevor Ariza in the air early in the fourth quarter. Thompson absorbed Ariza's knee to the side of his head, sending him to the floor.

Thompson, who finished with 20 points, lay on the ground for a minute before walking to the locker room. He came back to the bench with what the team called a right ear laceration.

The Warriors said he could've returned, but they never needed him. They started the fourth on a 13-4 run and held off Houston's last-ditch efforts on free throws.

Barnes highlighted the decisive spurt with a dunk that gave Golden State an 87-72 lead with 7:10 remaining. He flexed his muscles to the yellow-shirt wearing sellout crowd of 19,596, which spent the final quarter on its feet in anticipation of a celebration a generation in the works.

Now it's LeBron vs. Curry.

King James vs. the Baby-Faced Assassin.

The four-time NBA MVP vs. the newly crowned MVP.

The hype has already started for two of the most popular and entertaining players in the world to take center stage for the championship, and it has a week to build even more before starting at Oracle Arena.

The conference title is the biggest accomplishment yet in what has been a rapid rise for a Warriors team that is beloved in the basketball-united Bay Area despite decades of futility.

Warriors co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, sitting courtside next to rapper Kanye West, have turned the franchise into a contender since they bought the team in 2010. General manager Bob Myers, the NBA Executive of the Year, has constructed a talented roster around Curry that has exceeded all expectations. And first-year coach Steve Kerr blended it all together beautifully after Mark Jackson's messy firing last May.

The Warriors rolled to a franchise-record 67 wins in the regular season and had little trouble dispatching New Orleans, Memphis and Houston in the playoffs. Now they're in the finals for the first time since winning the title in 1975 behind Rick Barry and coach Alvin Attles, who enjoyed it all sitting in his usual spot at the top of the arena's lower bowl.

It was a tough way for the Rockets' run to end. They overcame a knee injury that sidelined Howard half the season to finish second in the West, played without starters Patrick Beverley and Donatas Motiejunas in the playoffs and rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round.

The Warriors were one obstacle Houston couldn't clear.

Tip-ins

Rockets: Howard and Bogut were called for double technical fouls in the second quarter. It was Howard's seventh technical foul of the postseason, meaning he would've been suspended if there was a Game 6. ... Howard also was called for a foul after extending his arm while setting a hard screen on Andre Iguodala in the final minutes that drew a replay review. ... The Rockets last won at Oracle Arena on Dec. 13, 2013.

Warriors: Golden State is 46-3 at home this season, including 7-1 in the playoffs. ... The Warriors are 16-2 in close-out games at home, the best winning percentage of any team.

Finals matchup

The Warriors and Cavaliers split two games this season, with each winning on its home floor. James sat out Golden State's 112-94 win on Jan. 9 in Oakland, and he scored a season-high 42 points in the Cavs' 110-99 win in Cleveland on Feb. 26.

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Golden State Warriors general manager Larry Riley was demoted by new owner Joe Lacob in April of 2012.

Two months before, Lacob was loudly booed by his own fans at a jersey retirement ceremony after Riley traded Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for the oft-injured Andrew Bogut at the deadline.

After the season Lacob promoted Bob Myers to GM, and demoted Riley to director of scouting.

After being told of the move, Riley admitted to the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons he was disappointed with the switch:

"I'd be disingenuous if I said anything other than there is some real disappointment about not being the general manager anymore. I think the team is set to be pretty good. It took a lot of work to get it to this point, and I'd like to be in the position to enjoy the success."

Three years later, the success has certainly come. While Myers won Executive of the Year in 2015, it's Riley who has arguably had the greater impact on the team. Warriors fans who once ridiculed Riley and his decisions now cheer for a team composed of players primarily brought in by Riley.

While drafting Stephen Curry 7th-overall in 2009 was by far Riley's most successful move as general manager, it wasn't the only one. The shooting guard tasked to replace fan-favorite Monta Ellis? All-star Klay Thompson, who Riley drafted 11th-overall in 2011. The injury-prone center the Warriors acquired in the Ellis trade? Rebounding machine Andrew Bogut.

All three were instrumental in the Warriors' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets. Curry and Thompson combined for 56 points, and Bogut led the team with 14 rebounds.

After being demoted, Riley has still played a pivotal role in building the Warriors. As director of scouting, he had a hand in the wildly successful 2012 draft that brought the team Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Draymond Green.

Out of the Warriors eight key contributors this postseason — Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green, Bogut, Ezeli, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston — Iguodala and Livingston are the only two that Riley didn't play a major role in acquiring.

During Curry's MVP acceptance speech he made a point to mention Riley, and thank him for everything he's done:

"He's the reason I'm here. He drafted me. He saw potential in me coming out of college, along with [former Warriors coach] Don Nelson, making those decisions. You're a big reason why I'm here, taking a chance on a little scrawny kid from a mid-major school. So just wanted to say thank you for believing in me. Crazy how far we've come in six years. But thank you, man. I can't thank you enough for that decision."

Three years after fans booed one of his moves in an ugly scene, he deserves a ton of credit for getting the team to the finals.

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The Golden State Warriors are getting ready to reintroduce themselves to the nation as a potential championship team Thursday night as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oakland, CA.

The team has been killing it on the court, thanks in part to key players Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, among others.

All that hard work has brought them to their first NBA Finals appearance in 40 years, and at least one superfan has been waiting a long time for Thursday night.

"Sweetie," who is turning 106 next week has been cheering on the Warriors probably longer than this year's team has been alive. She first moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1936, according to Contra Costa Times reporter Doug Oakley, who interviewed Sweetie Friday. He writes that she "can talk sports just as well as any other fanatic."

A Warriors team rep apparently saw the story and got in touch. Now Sweetie is headed to the big leagues, sort of.

She scored a VIP suite ticket to Thursday night's game.

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Stephen Curry, the NBA's MVP, broke his own record for most three-pointers in a season this year.

As a 44% career three-point shooter who's made an average of nearly 200 three-pointers per season, he's on pace to crush the record for most all-time three-pointers.

Between a smooth stroke and deft ball-handling ability, Curry is practically unguardable, a threat 30 feet from the basket that can single-handedly change defensive schemes.

Curry's rise to becoming the best shooter in the NBA, and perhaps all-time, comes from a pattern of hard work and intense preparation that has paid off immensely.

Here's some of how he did it.

1. His father, Dell, played 16 seasons in the NBA and shot 40% from three for his career.

So maybe some of of Steph's skill comes from genetics. His father, Dell, was widely considered one of the best shooters in the NBA when he played.

Curry was apparently a great shooter from the beginning. ESPN's Tom Friend wrote a great profile detailing Steph and Dell's relationship (along with Klay Thompson and his father, Mychal, who played in the NBA). Dell told Friend that when he played for the Bucks, he and 11-year-old Steph would regularly compete against other NBA players in H-O-R-S-E competitions during practice and the two would consistently win.

2. He's hard-working and fiercely competitive.

These are, of course, common traits in professional athletes, but it takes an exceptionally competitive and determined person to become, perhaps literally, the best at any one skill. This is also comes with a sort of killer instinct.

According to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins, Curry was torching people on the court before he was even in high school. Dell told Jenkins that he once left one of Curry's eighth grade games early because he was beating the other team so badly. "I had to get out of there," Dell said. "I felt bad for the other team. I couldn’t watch what he was doing to those kids."

Curry's college coach, Bob McKillop, said Curry was consistently the hardest-working player at Davidson and told Cory Collins of Sporting News that Curry had a "fire that raged within him."

3. He re-taught himself how to shoot in high school to adapt to bigger, better players.

Though Curry is now 6'3", he was a late-bloomer and before he grew he reportedly used to shoot a sort of flick shot that he released from his chest. As his competition got bigger and better, Dell helped Curry change his shooting form so that his release point was above his head. He had to re-learn how to shoot the ball.

Curry told SI's Chris Ballard it was "the most frustrating summer," saying:

"I really couldn't shoot outside the paint for like the first three weeks. All summer when I was at camps people were like, 'Who are you, why are you playing basketball?' I was really that bad for a month and a half [before] I finally figured it out."

4. He uses an insane "flashing lights" test to work on his ball-handling while improving his reflexes and focus.

Curry told Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle:

"The lights mimic what’s happening on the court. If there’s a defender in front of me, then I’ve got to know where he is and still be ready to initiate whatever move I’m going to make."

The test looks dizzying:

Curry works diligently on his ball-handling, not just because he has the ball most as the Warriors point guard, but he also can use his dribbling to create shots for himself. When he gets open, he can quickly seize the opportunity:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr told Kroichick, "[Curry] has the best skill set I’ve ever seen in terms of the combination of shooting and ballhandling, along with speed and quickness.”

5. He practices a combination of fundamental and extremely detailed footwork that allows him to move, get into rhythm, and be ready to shoot easily and quickly.

The idea is that if Curry can master the actual physical movements he needs, the rest can come naturally. SI's Rob Mahoney profiled some of Curry's behind-the-scenes work, with Curry telling him:

"We do a warm-up drill every day that we practice where we literally work on just pivoting, stepping through, and pick-and-roll footwork. Just break it down, step by step. Those things happen so many times in a game that you might take it for granted—just the coordination it takes to be explosive in certain situations on the floor. So we work on that in practice. Outside of that, I just kind of work on footwork in moves that I normally will make in a game, whether it's dribble moves into shots or the footwork coming off a screen, things like that. You drill that while you're getting shots up so that you'll obviously be efficient and make your workouts tough. But staying on top of that simple fundamental makes you a little bit faster, a little bit more creative, a little bit more efficient on the floor."

Warriors assistant Bruce Fraser added, "He's always constantly pushing himself to make shots challenging so that when he gets in the game he's done that a lot.”

Curry puts so much work into his craft that he's able to get away with some of the most ridiculous shots in the NBA. Few players can even pull off this move, let alone make the shot and make it look good:

6. Finally, Curry gets up plenty of shots.

Lee Jenkins describes a shooting drill that Curry does in which he takes 10 shots from five different locations on the three-point line, going back and forth until he takes 100. According to Jenkins, former Warriors assistant coach Brian Scalabrine told Curry that Kyle Korver does the drill, calling Korver the best spot-up shooter in the NBA.

Curry took offense to the title and now does the drill regularly. Jenkins describes the scene as Curry does it:

Curry sets up in the right corner and splashes nine of 10. "Good," says special assistant Nick U’Ren, rebounding for him. Curry moves to the right wing and cans 10 of 10. "Better," U’Ren nods. Curry skips to the top of the circle and drains 10 of 10 again. U’Ren turns to a couple of spectators under the basket. "Wow," he mouths. Here it is, the Curry Zone. He starts 48 of 50...He sweeps back across the perimeter, hitting 10 of 10 from the left corner, 10 of 10 from the left wing. Teammates are watching. Cameras are filming. "Don’t get giddy," Curry tells himself. He’s made 77 in a row, and when he finally misfires from the top of the circle, he grabs Green’s jersey and screams. He finishes 94 of 100. 

Fraser also told Jenkins that Curry will occasionally get "bored" with the drill and become less accurate. That's when coaches and staff challenge him other drills and shooting competitions, which Fraser says, "He needs the action. And when he gets it, he just snaps on."

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry had 26 points and eight assists, and the Golden State Warriors held off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for a thrilling 108-100 overtime victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

In the finals for the first time in 40 years, the Warriors gave their long-suffering fans quite a treat.

They rallied from an early 14-point deficit, absorbed a finals-best 44 points from James and shut down Cleveland in the extra session.

James shot 18 of 38 from the field and had eight rebounds and six assists in 46 minutes. But the four-time MVP missed a long jumper at the end of regulation, and Cleveland missed its first eight shots of overtime.

Adding to the Cavs' frustration, point guard Kyrie Irving limped to the locker room after aggravating his troublesome left leg in overtime. He did not return.

There were 13 lead changes and 11 ties in a game tightly contested across the board. There was little edge in shooting (Warriors 44.3 percent, Cavaliers 41.5 percent), rebounding (Warriors 48, Cavaliers 45) or assists (Warriors 24, Cavaliers 19).

In the end, it came down to the NBA's top teams and biggest stars making plays — or not.

James and Curry carried their clubs through the fourth quarter, trading scores and assists in a back-and-forth duel that had a sellout crowd of 19,596 — most wearing those blinding, golden yellow shirts. Both also had a chance to win the game in regulation.

Curry, the current MVP, beat Irving off the dribble and moved in for the go-ahead layup. Instead, Irving blocked Curry from behind, J.R. Smith came up with the rebound and the Cavs called a timeout with 24.1 seconds left.

James dribbled down the clock and missed a contested jumper over Andre Iguodala just inside the left arc, and Iman Shumpert's desperation shot nearly rimmed in at the buzzer, sending a collective sigh through the crowd.

The Cavs never came so close again.

Curry drew two deep shooting fouls at the start of overtime and made all four free throws, and Harrison Barnes hit a corner 3 just in front of the Cavs bench to give Golden State a 105-98 lead with 2:02 to play and sent the crowd screaming at full throat.

Irving limped to the bench trying to shake off his troublesome left leg after the play. He was replaced by Matthew Dellavedova.

The Warriors went ahead 108-98 on free throws with 1:16 to play. James' layup with 8.9 seconds left accounted for Cleveland's only points in overtime.

James, who missed three shots and had two turnovers in overtime, walked off the court in frustration as time expired.

Both teams got through their early jitters and both stars were in full force.

James swished shots inside and out, looking calm and cool on basketball's biggest stage to guide the Cavaliers to a 29-15 lead late in the first quarter.

But the Cavs scored just two points in 4 minutes without James to start the second quarter as the Warriors came rolling back behind Marreese Speights and their second unit.

Curry returned and connected on his first 3-pointer with 4:21 remaining in the quarter, a quick-trigger release over James Jones in the left corner to even the score at 36-all.

Curry stopped and stared at the crowd, giving a high-five to a fan in the front row, and followed with a series of scintillating shots.

But Smith turned in the final highlight of the half. His third 3-pointer — from 29 feet — in the final seconds put Cleveland up 51-48.

James carried Cleveland through a thrilling third quarter, but neither team could pull away. Iguodala's emphatic dunk tied the score at 73-all heading to the fourth, and 48 minutes turned out not to be enough to settle this one.

Tip-ins

Cavaliers: Cleveland is still seeking its first victory in the NBA Finals in franchise history. The Cavs were swept by San Antonio in their only previous appearance in 2007. ... The Cavs had been 7-0 this postseason when James scores at least 30 points.

Warriors: Golden State is 47-3 at home this season, including 8-1 in the playoffs. ... Curry has hit multiple 3s in 21 straight playoff games, tying Ray Allen's NBA playoff record.

Getting a jump

The Game 1 winner of the NBA Finals has a 48-20 series record. James' teams are 18-2 in playoff series when winning the opener and 7-5 when losing Game 1. Curry's Warriors are 3-1 in playoff series when winning the opening game and 1-1 when losing Game 1.

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NBA MVP Stephen Curry was held scoreless when being guarded by undrafted backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, suffering one of the worst shooting performances of his career in the 95-93 loss.

Curry shot 0-8 and turned the ball over four times when Dellavedova was on him. One of the best shooters in league history finished the night 5-23 from the field, including 2-15 from behind the arc. It was the most missed three-pointers in a single game in NBA finals history.

Even before Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury, Dellavedova had developed into one of the Cavaliers' most important players in the playoffs.

With his stellar performance against Curry, the 6'3" guard from Australia, who Draft Express described as a player who struggled on the defensive end in both college and high school, has now recorded a string of strong defensive games against All-Star point guards during the playoffs.

While 13 different point guards were taken ahead of him in the 2013 NBA draft, Dellavedova has thrived with the Cavs, and has earned the praise of his teammates.

"[Curry's poor shooting] had everything to do with Delly,"four-time MVP LeBron James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin."He just kept a body on Steph. He made Steph work. He was spectacular, man, defensively. We needed everything from him."

"He's keeping us alive and putting us on his back, his 6-foot-3 back, and carrying the team,"Tristan Thompson added. 

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CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James came home last summer to win a championship — one like no other.

He's two wins away.

Pushed by a crowd howling to see Cleveland's 51-year title drought end, James scored 40 points, his new sidekick Matthew Dellavedova added 20 and the Cavaliers survived Golden State's furious fourth-quarter comeback led by Stephen Curry for a 96-91 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

"Those 3's Steph had in that fourth quarter, those are the same ones that he missed in the first three quarters," James said. "He's just a great shooter."

James added 12 rebounds and eight assists in 46 minutes, his third stellar performance in his fifth straight finals. The Cavs, who won Game 2 at Golden State for their first ever finals win, now have their first at Quicken Loans Arena. They'll have a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series in Game 4 on Thursday night.

"This is a great moment and my teammates need me," James said. "It's my job to go out and lead those guys, teach those guys, yell at those guys and then come back and tell them it's OK, let's move to the next play."

Cleveland nearly threw Game 3 away.

The Cavs led 92-83 with 51 seconds to go, but got careless with the ball and Curry heated up.

The league's MVP finally found his shooting touch in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points as the Warriors, who trailed by 20 in the third quarter, refused to go away. Golden State got a huge lift from reserve David Lee, but they rode Curry, who made five 3-pointers — his last with 18.9 seconds to pull the Warriors within 94-91.

Cleveland then caught a break when referee Danny Crawford blew an inadvertent whistle with 17.5 seconds to go after Golden State appeared to force a turnover. The officials, who have come under scrutiny for several missed calls in the series, then reviewed the play and it was clear that Klay Thompson was out of bounds when he made contact with the ball that Dellavedova was holding in his hands.

James was fouled and made two free throws with 16.8 seconds left. On Golden State's last possession, Andre Iguodala appeared to get fouled on a 3-point attempt and the Cavs pulled down the rebound to close out a win that nearly slipped away.

"We've got some learning to do," James said. "I've always said about this team, the best teacher in life is experience. And that last minute and a half, we've got a lot to learn from."

After the final horn, Warriors coach Steve Kerr came on the floor and gave an earful to Crawford and the rest of his crew, Marc Davis and Derrick Stafford.

Curry finished with 27 points, Iguodala 15 and Lee, who didn't play in Games 1 or 2, had 11.

James, who has had to play without injured All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, once again was helped by Dellavedova, the pesky Australian guard who hounded Curry for three quarters, dived on the floor for loose balls and came up with a huge three-point play, flinging in a layup with 2:27 left to put the Cavs up 84-80.

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As surprising as the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals has been, perhaps the bigger shock is how the Warriors' explosive offense has been dismantled.

The Warriors' No. 1-ranked defense has actually done its job — the Cavaliers are shooting just 39.6% from the field and scoring 94 points per 100 possessions.

The difference in the series has been how the Warriors, the second best offensive team in the regular season, can't score. In the Finals, they're averaging just 99 points per 100 possessions, an eight-point difference from the first three rounds of the playoffs.

A huge reason for the Warriors struggles has been the ineffectiveness of small ball, in particular, Draymond Green's struggles. Green, a 6'7" power forward, is key to small ball, the Warriors' most devastating weapon. Despite the dual backcourt threats of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Green's ability to pull defenders away from the basket with his shooting, attack open space, and make smart passes to throw off scrambling defenses is crucial to the Warriors offense.

Green is averaging nine points and seven rebounds per game while shooting just 26% from the field and 12.5% from three-point range. In the regular season, the Warriors offense improved with Green on the floor, but in the Finals, they're scoring less with Green on the court.

The Cavaliers' defensive strategy has been completely different than the Warriors. While the Warriors are intentionally letting LeBron James pick them apart (to mixed results), the Cavaliers are forcing the ball out of Stephen Curry's hands and containing him on the perimeter so he can't shake loose for opens threes and drives. As a result, Curry has to give up the ball, often to Green, the screener, who then has to make plays. He's succeeded in this role all year, but is now struggling.

The Cavs defend this perfectly — Matthew Dellavedova fights over the screen to tail Curry and Tristan Thompson pushes up on Curry to keep him from firing a three or turning the corner. As a result, Curry makes a great read to a wide open Green. Green just can't make the shot.

On a crucial possession in the fourth quarter as the Warriors tried to make a comeback, Green's struggles really hurt the Warriors.

Here, he hesitates on the wide open three, drives to the lane, and meets a wall in Timofey Mozgov, who does a good job of going up straight and not fouling:

The Warriors got the offensive rebound and on the next play, miscommunication between Curry and Green resulted in a brutal turnover:

This isn't a smart pass from Curry, but it's also a bit of a habit. Throughout the season, the expectation is that Green would be waiting at the three-point line, ready to launch a three, drive the lane, or find an open teammate as the defense scrambles.

While Curry missed the opportunity to get Green an easy pick-and-roll opportunity, this is also the Cavs defense at work. LeBron hounds Curry and Mozgov lingers ready to contest a three-pointer or a drive. They abandon Green, who, according to NBA.com/Stats is only shooting 2-16 on passes from Curry in the Finals.

Green at power forward isn't the Warriors' ultimate small-ball look — they can move him to center, add another shooter or slasher to the court and hope to create even more space. The problem is the Cavs are such physical, relentless rebounders, the Warriors may get destroyed on the glass, reducing second-chance opportunities and failing to finish defensive possessions.

All season long, the Warriors offense has thrived on the principle that if Curry is forced to give up the ball, he can hit playmakers in Thompson, or more crucially, Green, who is a mismatch for almost all big men. When Green is at his best, he takes advantages of defenses who double Curry. If defenses stop doubling Curry, it allows Curry to do his thing on offense. It becomes a "pick-your-poison" scenario for defenses.

If Green doesn't get untracked, it becomes that much harder for the Warriors to dominate like they have throughout the year.

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CLEVELAND (AP) — No panic, no playing around. Just California cool.

The Golden State Warriors simply did what they had to do, and now they're going home in the same shape as when they left — tied in the NBA Finals.

Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points apiece and the Warriors, showing why they were the league's best team all season, squared the finals at 2-2 on Thursday night with a 103-82 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Game 5 is Sunday night at Oakland's rambunctious Oracle Arena, where the teams split two overtime games last week.

LeBron James scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists, but Cleveland's megastar, who played with a cut on his head sustained in the first half, couldn't do enough for the undermanned Cavaliers. Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with 28 points and Matthew Dellavedova, again battling leg cramps after a hospital stay, had 10.

The Warriors were in a must-win situation as none of the 32 teams who have fallen behind 3-1 in the finals have come back to win an NBA title. Golden State doesn't have to worry about that, and now it's possible the Warriors will get to play two more games on their home court if the series goes the distance. Game 6 is Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Building off a strong fourth quarter in Game 3 that gave them confidence, the Warriors showed a sense of urgency from the outset and took it to the Cavs. Iguodala, who played so well coming off the bench in the first three games, started and made coach Steve Kerr's decision look brilliant.

Known for his defense, Iguodala made four 3-pointers and Curry, the league MVP, made four as well, including a deep dagger in the fourth.

With Cavs still hanging around, Curry hit a step-back 3 on the left side that stopped the Cavs cold and silenced a roaring crowd of 20,562. After his shot splashed through the net, Curry clenched both fists, pounded his chest and yelled, "C'mon!"

The Warriors followed their leader and now they're headed home brimming with confidence.

Draymond Green added 17 points and Harrison Barnes had 14 for Golden State, which didn't lose three straight games all season racking up 67 wins.

Looking for a spark, Kerr decided to go "small" with his starting lineup, putting Iguodala at forward, moving Green to center and benching struggling big man Andrew Bogut. Kerr initially said he wouldn't make any changes, but went with a lineup that worked well late in Game 3, when the Warriors scored 36 points and trimmed a 20-point deficit to one.

Kerr got the result he wanted, but only after the Warriors withstood an early flurry from the Cavs, who scored the game's first seven points.

Golden State's ball movement was better, and shots that didn't drop in the first three games were on the mark.

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This week, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has a shot at winning the NBA championship.

As the face of Under Armour, Curry would not only achieve a milestone in his career, he'd be giving Under Armour another massive credibility boost.

CEO Kevin Plank founded the Baltimore-based sports apparel and equipment company in 1996, and it has emerged in the past few years as a serious contender in the industry.

Last year Under Armour overtook Adidas, which also owns Reebok, as the second most popular sportswear manufacturer in the US, with $2.6 billion in revenue in apparel and footwear. It's still far behind Nike, however, which brought in $11.8 billion in revenue in that same sector in 2014.

Plank has said he expects Under Armour to grow revenues 20% this year, and part of his plan is to continue focusing on acquiring major athlete endorsements.

In addition to NCAA partnerships and deals with international teams like the Premier League's Tottenham Hotspurs, Under Armour has been building a roster of star athletes that build its brand and boost its sales.

Here are some of the company's biggest gets.

Stephen Curry — Point guard, Golden State Warriors

Under Armour approached Curry in 2013 as his contract with Nike was about to expire. Nike considered whether it was worth outbidding Under Armour, and concluded that Curry's chance of deserving a signature shoe wasn't high enough. Curry soon became one of the NBA's most prominent stars and the 2014-2015 MVP. His signature shoe, the UA Curry One, is Under Armour's best-selling shoe.

Tom Brady — Quarterback, New England Patriots

The four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl MVP signed a deal with Under Armour in 2010 after his deal with Nike expired, taking some of his payment in stock.

Gisele Bündchen — Model

Bündchen, the former world's top-grossing model, joined her husband Tom Brady in the Under Armour family last September, months before announcing her retirement from the catwalk. She is part of Under Armour's largest ever global marketing campaign for women.

Jordan Spieth — Professional golfer on the PGA Tour

In January, Under Armour signed 21-year-old Spieth to a 10-year contract. In April, he joined history's greatest golfers when he won the Master's. "Thanks to Jordan, our company grew up today,"Under Armour CEO Plank told ESPN after the win.

Misty Copeland — Soloist, American Ballet Theatre

One of Under Armour's most prominent athletes isn't a basketball or soccer star, but a ballerina. Under Armour was drawn to Copeland's remarkable journey to becoming the second black soloist in the American Ballet Theatre, one of the world's premiere ballet companies. She made her deal last year.

Clayton Kershaw — Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Under Armour's bet on Kershaw when he was a rookie in 2008 ended up becoming one of its biggest successes. Kershaw ranks among the best pitchers in MLB, as a three-time Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star.

Lindsey Vonn — Downhill skier, US Ski Team

Vonn, a four-time gold medalist, has been with Under Armour since 2006 and remains a prominent spokesperson.

Cam Newton — Quarterback, Carolina Panthers

Under Armour pushed hard in 2011 to land the Heisman-winning quarterback before his rookie year in the NFL, paying what NBC said may have been the biggest apparel contract ever given to an NFL rookie. Newton remains a celebrity athlete in the league, and led the Panthers to their divisional championship last year, losing to the Seahawks.

Buster Posey — Catcher, San Francisco Giants

Posey is another prospect Under Armour grabbed as a rookie in 2009, and today he's regarded as arguably the best catcher in baseball. He's a three-time World Series champion and National League MVP, among other accolades.

Kelley O'Hara — Defender, US Women's National Team

O'Hara is another score from Nike, and emerged last year as one of the faces of Under Armour's "I Will What I Want" campaign for female athletes. She's one of the three players who played every minute of every game in the US Women's National Team's 2012 gold-medal run.

Michael Phelps — Swimmer, US National Team

Phelps, who signed his deal in 2010, may have been out of the spotlight for awhile, but he remains the most successful Olympian of all time with 22 medals and is training for next year's Olympics.

There's a full roster of endorsement deals at Under Armour's website.

SEE ALSO: Nike blew the door wide open for Under Armour's success

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The Golden State Warriors won the NBA title Tuesday night, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in an exciting six-game series.

Golden State's ascent has been gradual, but now that they've reached the top, they could remain there for the foreseeable future.

Along with a core of young talent and valuable veterans, the Warriors have a key advantage over the rest of the league: those core players are all on team-friendly contracts for the next several years.

This starts with Stephen Curry, who, when he signed a four-year, $44 million contract extension in 2012, was still somewhat of an unknown. He was one of the league's best shooters and a skilled ball-handler, but there major questions about recurring ankle issues that some thought could derail his career, and he was yet to become the crafty defender he turned into this season. Now, the league's MVP, best shooter, and arguably best point guard is under contact for $23 million total until 2017 — a huge bargain.

Curry's backcourt partner, Klay Thompson, is set to become the Warriors' highest-paid player in the next several seasons, making an average of $17 million per year. While that number may seem like a lot, the Warriors handled his contract extension wisely last fall, and it too will be a bargain in a few seasons when the salary cap explodes with the league's new TV deal.

The Warriors basically gave Thompson a fake max contract at the beginning of the season. A true max contract allows a player to make 25-35% of the league's salary cap (depending on how many years they've been in the league) with 4.5-7.5% yearly raises. With the NBA's salary cap set to jump, if the Warriors gave Thompson a true max, his yearly salary would skyrocket because the percentage of the cap he'd make would be higher. Instead, the Warriors locked him into the equivalent of a max contract now, which will be a bargain in two years when the cap is way higher and true max contracts are worth millions more.

Additionally, the Warriors also have a strong supporting cast of veterans locked into affordable deals. Andre Iguodala, the Finals MVP and LeBron-stopper extraordinaire, is set to make about $22 million through 2017. Andrew Bogut (though he disappeared in the Finals) is their defensive anchor and actually has a contract that descends in yearly value, as he makes $23 million through 2017. Shaun Livingston, a lengthy, valuable backup point guard will make just $11 million through 2017. Harrison Barnes is still under his rookie contract, making only $3.8 million this season if the Warriors pick up his team option.

For next season, these six contracts combine for a total of $60 million — $7 million under next year's projected salary cap. In 2016-17, Curry, Thompson, Bogut, Iguodala, and Livingston (leaving out Barnes) will combine for just $56 million when the salary cap is $88 million.

The biggest question going forward is how the Warriors will handle Draymond Green and David Lee's futures. Green is a restricted free agent who's become so good at the increasingly important "playmaking four" position that he rendered Lee, a former All-Star making $15 million per season, a bench player. Green will likely get a max offer this offseason, and the Warriors can decide whether or not to match. It's widely assumed the Warriors will bring back Green at any price, but it's unclear if they'll make the first move and offer him a max or let other teams, who can't legally offer as much as the Warriors, offer a contract and then match.

Lee proved in the Finals that he still has value, and next season he'll be on an expiring contract, which makes him a good trade chip. The Warriors will likely try to trade him, which will only improve their advantage over the rest of the league, cutting $15 million from their payroll.

If Green gets a full max contract from Golden State, the Warriors will have a core of stars in Curry, Thompson, and Green making a combined $43 million next season, about two-thirds of the cap. In 2016-17, when the cap is $88 million, the three will be making a combined $46 million. With the team-friendly deals of Bogut, Iguodala, and Livingston thrown in, the Warriors will have a solid core of six players making a combined $74 million.

The NBA champs, depending on how they handle their roster over the next year, could have cap space in 2016.

Of course, this advantage can only last so long. In 2017, when the cap is projected to be a whopping $107 million and max contracts will stray above $30 million per year, Curry will be a free agent. Given that he's likely to be only the third-highest player on the team over the next two years, it seems certain he'll want his first chance at a max contract. Additionally, by then, Iguodala and Bogut will be free agents and on the backend of their careers. Given what the Warriors did to handle Thompson's fake max contract, there's a possibility Green could opt for a short-term contract so he can become a free agent again in a few years when he can earn more money.

The NBA is designed to keep teams from building juggernauts that can last for years and years. The Warriors have lucked into some team-friendly contracts, but they've also managed building a strong, affordable core. Barring an unforeseen, dramatic roster shift, this Warriors team should stay in tact for the next two years, with the ability to add pieces as they go. 

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