Stephen Curry’s younger brother has caught fire at the perfect time, and it could earn him millions this summer

Matt York/AP

In recent weeks, Seth Curry has begun to make strides to step out from under his older brother’s shadow.

While Stephen Curry has taken the league by storm, putting together one of the finest seasons the NBA has ever seen, his younger brother, Seth, has started to find his footing in the NBA.

Prior to joining the Sacramento Kings this season, Seth had played just 21 total minutes in the NBA on three teams. He often bounced around on 10-day contracts, didn’t get playing time, then journeyed back to the D-League before receiving another brief call-up.

With the Kings heading back toward the lottery and their season winding down, Seth has gotten a chance to prove he belongs in the NBA, and the timing couldn’t be better. Since the All-Star break, Seth has averaged 11 points on 50% shooting, 50% from 3-point range, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. In April, those numbers have jumped higher as he’s averaged 17 points on 53% shooting, 57% from three, and 5 assists per game over six contests.

On Monday night, Curry started at point guard for the Kings, and showed some of the exciting flash of his older brother:

Seth’s 20-point, 15-assist explosion, that led the Kings to a win, caught the attention of Stephen:

It also caught the attention of Kings coach George Karl, who had previously estimated that Seth had “a couple years” left in the NBA.

After Monday’s game, Karl said, “Man, he had a highlight game. A highlight show in one game. … We talked about how we needed to get some passing and Seth jumped up and gave them some solid passes, some spectacular passes.”

Karl added, “I’m really happy for him, he’s put in a lot of work. I’m sure this is very satisfying to him.”

The timing couldn’t be better for Curry. He has a player option for next season with the Kings worth just over $1 million. While Curry’s journey through the NBA hasn’t been steady, he may be foolish to take that option. With the NBA’s salary cap exploding to $90 million this summer, Curry could be in high demand. He’s got the genes of the NBA’s best player, and the value of playmakers who can shoot 3-pointers is at an all-time high. With an abundance of teams with an abundance of money to spend, it’s not hard to imagine Curry getting a raise from $1 million next season to something far more lucrative.

While Seth is still far below his otherworldly brother, and there are questions about his true position and his defense, he looks like a legitimate NBA player. Nobody will complain about an NBA featuring two Currys at the same time.