They would not. They could not. Right? When it comes to all the potential ways the team could get out of the difficult situation they're in—trades, draft moves, free-agent signings—the last option on the list would appear to be trading Stephen Curry Warriors Could search for ways to improve their situation, such as trades, draft moves, and free-agent signings, with the least likely option being trading Stephen Curry. He is, after all, the main player responsible for transforming one of the league's most unsuccessful and unexciting teams into a dominant force in the league and one of the greatest teams of the modern era. NBACurry has played for the Warriors for 15 seasons and led four championship runs. He changed NBA basketball and the game itself as we know it (is there a Caitlin Clark without a Steph?). And he's accomplished all of this for the Warriors, who were considered a joke for years, almost decades, before he joined them in the
2009 NBA draft But now that he is 35 and the Warriors seem to be stuck with the current composition of their team, with their days as a top team appearing to be over, it might be time to find a new team for Curry, to trade him. This view comes from veteran and respected San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler , at least, as he admits, in what is a difficult but necessary conversation..
Warriors need to 'Consider the Unthinkable'
In a recent column titled, “Why the Warriors need to consider the unthinkable: trading Steph Curry,” Ostler writes that the only way the Warriors would go down this path is if two conditions were met. One is that an “embarrassing future” is on the horizon for the club as Curry gets older. However, he adds that the other condition would be if Curry agreed to leave town, as he searched for a new team where he could win.“If another team is willing to offer the Warriors a wealth of draft picks and prospects in exchange for Curry, thus kick-starting a necessary team overhaul, the Warriors should at least consider the offer and present it to Curry.
“Every decision the Warriors made or considered in the past few seasons, every roster and playing-time decision, has been made with the goal of maximizing the Curry Window. However, it's at least possible that the only realistic championship window for Curry is with another team.”
Last year, Stephen Curry averaged 26.4 points
This is a difficult truth for a team that has seen Curry—coming off a year in which he averaged 26.4 points with 40.8% 3-point shooting—sustain his individual greatness, even as the team’s other two main stars have struggled. Those stars being Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
Both earned reputations as top-notch defensive players at their best, but both have seen those skills decline. Green is still useful as a versatile point-forward, despite being overpaid with the $100 million, four-year deal he received last summer.
Thompson had a tough season on both ends, but still expects a big payout this summer.
It would be simple to trade away Green and let Thompson leave in free agency, allowing for a rebuild around Curry. However, you don’t rebuild with a guy in his late 30s. And it’s unlikely that the Warriors would find two other players capable of winning championships to play alongside Curry, anyway.
Instead of dismantling the whole team with Curry, some people think it might be better to just replace Curry. Ostler wrote that the split of the big three, whenever it occurs, will be emotionally difficult for Curry. However, it's inevitable, and it might be less painful and more respectable if it happens through careful planning, rather than continuing until a breakdown occurs.The Warriors are approaching the end of their time with the Big Three. The end might be so painful that it's preferable to trade Stephen Curry to avoid it.
Both earned reputations as top-flight defensive players at their peaks, but both have seen those skills deteriorate. Green is still useful as a versatile point-forward type, though overpaid at $100 million for four years, the deal he got last summer.
Thompson struggled this season on both ends, but still wants a major payday this summer.
It would be easy to trade away Green and let Thompson walk in free agency, allowing for a rebuild around Curry. But you don’t rebuild with a guy on the back end of his 30s. And it’s a longshot that the Warriors would find two other championship-caliber players to put alongside Curry, anyway.
Rather than uprooting the team around Curry, the logic goes, maybe just uprooting Curry is the better plan.
“The breakup of the big three, whenever and however that happens, will be emotionally wrenching for Curry. But it’s going to happen, and it might be less painful — and more dignified — if it happens via intelligent design, rather than by driving along until the wheels fall off,” Ostler wrote.
