Stephen Curry's surprising move spells good news for the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are coming into the 2024-25 season with high hopes of returning to the Finals.

There are plenty of challenges ahead that have had people doubting the Mavs' chances again. Some folks don't even consider them the favorites to come out on top of the West next year. However, let's remember Dallas' trip to the 2024 Finals was also unexpected.

Despite the tough competition in the conference, there are several reasons to believe the Mavs can make two consecutive Finals appearances.

Stephen Curry's contract extension spells good news for Mavericks

Another factor that can impact Dallas' championship aspiration is the report that Stephen Curry agreed to a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension with the Golden State Warriors. The deal will keep him with the team through the 2026-27 campaign. By that time, Curry will be 38 and presumably way past his prime.

With the two-time MVP stuck on the currently mediocre Warriors with a deal that limits the franchise's flexibility, Dallas can probably write them off as a serious threat to its Western Conference crown. Of course, Curry can still pop off and go on a revenge tour, but the Mavs have the tools to neutralize Klay Thompson's former team.

Moreover, the 10-time All-Star extending his stay in the Bay Area and renewing his commitment to the organization may have shot down the scuttlebutt that he is planning to leave town.

Curry caused quite a stir recently when he inexplicably removed "Guard for the Warriors" from his Instagram bio and replaced it with "Olympic Gold Medalist." The social media move sparked hopes of a hometown reunion with the Charlotte Hornets and teased the possibility of a team-up with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The latter could have had an effect on the Mavs' title ambitions because the Paris Olympics showed how potent a LeBron-Steph duo is. They led the way for Team USA's gold-medal run, with Curry exhibiting how even more lethal his shooting and shot-creation could be with James anchoring the offense. But the "Chef" doubling down on his loyalty to the Dubs should put those rumors to rest.

Still, Dallas likely would have found ways to overcome a reinforced Lakers squad, given that it has one of the best duos in the league, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The addition of Thompson, who believes he is the "missing piece" for his new crew's Finals quest, and the emergence of a variety of possible X-factors should also enable the Mavs to defeat any opponent — hypothetical or otherwise.