Golden State and its franchise player face an uncertain future together.
The Warriors are middling, boring, and Steph Curry is practically waving the white flag on this season.
“There is a responsibility on keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done,” Curry told reporters after the Warriors lost to the Raptors on Monday. “Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But it doesn’t mean that you’re desperate, just flinging assets all around the place.”
This feels like Tom Brady’s last season in New England all over again. Back in 2020, the Patriots were headed for cap hell, the roster was aging, and it was clear the franchise was gearing up for a retooling phase. Brady saw the writing on the wall, left for Tampa Bay, and won his seventh ring, cementing his legacy as the undisputed NFL GOAT. Now, Steph is facing a similar crossroads: Does he ride it out in Golden State no matter how bleak it gets? Or does he pull a Brady and chase rings elsewhere?
Unlike Brady, Curry can’t walk in free agency: He is signed through 2026-27 for $122.21 million total after inking an extension last offseason. So if Steph wanted out, he’d have to request a trade. Curry is eligible to be traded this season, though he’d have more clarity about Golden State’s situation this summer. By June he’ll know where the Warriors land in the draft and whether there’s a superstar trade worth pursuing. But actions speak louder than words, and everything Golden State has done so far screams that they’re not serious about contending right now.
A year ago, the Warriors passed on Pascal Siakam. This past offseason, they didn’t push all their chips to the center for Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, or Zach LaVine. Now, it appears they don’t believe Jimmy Butler — or anyone else available — moves the needle at the cost of significant future draft assets. With George struggling in Philadelphia and Markkanen dealing with back issues in Utah, a deal may not have moved the needle enough for this team to climb back into contention anyway. But when Curry is still a top 10 player and Draymond Green is still an all-world defender, their annual inaction pursuing stars suggests cost-cutting and long-term planning, not winning, is the organization’s priority.
The state of the franchise is dark. The team’s effort is uninspiring. The arena feels lifeless. This isn’t the joyful, chaotic Warriors team that revolutionized basketball. That energy is gone, replaced by a snooze of a team playing a style that the league figured out. And for a group so focused on the future, the two-timeline experiment failed spectacularly. James Wiseman over LaMelo Bell. Jonathan Kuminga over Franz Wagner. Moses Moody over Alperen Şengün. Three lottery picks, no clear successors.
“We want to be in that position where we want to be relevant in a championship type of chase,” Curry said on Monday after the team dipped below .500 at 19-20. “But it doesn’t mean we’re getting desperate. It’s better to be kinda patient, understanding what that looks like.”
Usually stars push their franchises to burn every future pick for players that help in the present. LeBron James did for a decade. And for a moment, it seemed like Curry might. These comments on Monday contrasted his criticism of the two-timelines plan just a week earlier when he said the postmortem on it would be “not great” and “I just want to win.” So Steph struck a different tone, but after Draymond did publicly.
“Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we’re going for it right now,” Green told Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. “Bad teams do that. Bad organizations do that.”
Green’s comments sent waves through the NBA world on Monday. Later that same day at a team shootaround, Kerr told reporters: “We’re not giving in. But you have to be realistic organizationally about where you are. And you have to mind what’s coming ahead in the future. I probably won’t be around, but I would tell you, if this organization gave away the next six or seven drafts for a wild swing, that would be the most irresponsible thing that they could do.”
It sure is strange for three of the NBA’s greatest competitors to just be giving up on this season. The messaging reads like some sort of coordinated PR campaign about mindful trading. Maybe it’s a leverage play in an attempt to get Butler or someone else without mortgaging a single draft pick. Or maybe the team is preparing to tank with Steph dealing with lingering knee pain, and Green with a back issue. Or maybe it’s just the cold reality: the run is over, this team isn’t built for an all-in run anymore.
For all the issues with the team’s struggling youth, lack of depth, and Kerr’s rusty system, the front office would likely be more willing to make a win-now move if Curry were still playing at an MVP level. But he isn’t. Curry is averaging 22.7 points on 16.8 shots, both career lows since the first three seasons of his career. Steph’s scoring efficiency has also dipped since he no longer gets to the basket as often, posting only 12.6% of his attempts in the restricted area, way down from 25% in his prime years. And though he remains a devastating outside shooter, 3-point shooting habits have caught up across the league. It’s hard to justify a big trade when your best player is either slowed by a knee issue, or simply showing the natural signs of aging at 36.
But even still, Curry remains a great player with an unmatched perimeter game that warps defenses, and his gold-medal performance in the Olympics displayed his nuclear shot-making abilities. He can still play at the highest of levels. So if there are no trades to be made now or this summer, it’s certainly possible this is Steph’s last dance with the only franchise he’s ever known.
There’s a special honor in being a one-team guy like Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki. Kobe Bryant gave us the iconic 60-point finale, but the Lakers averaged 30 wins in the final five seasons of his career. Dirk Nowitzki mentored Luka Dončić, but toiled on lottery-bound Mavericks teams. But there’s a big difference between Steph and those legends: Steph is playing basketball at a much higher level at age 36. He can still contribute toward a championship-level team. He’s more like Brady — a player who could elevate the right team into a title contender.
If Steph hits the trade market, the possibilities are endless. Imagine pairing him with Nikola Jokić in Denver, flanking Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio, or supercharging the Magic, Rockets, or Timberwolves. Any of these would provide him a greater shot to win a fifth or sixth ring than the Warriors realistically could.
“It would mean everything,” Steph told Anscape in 2023 when asked about winning a fifth championship. “And you obviously understand every championship that you get, you put yourself in another echelon of legends that have won at the highest of high levels. Obviously, Bill Russell, nobody’s going to catch that (11 rings). But to get to Jordan winning six and Kobe winning five, the Spurs’ Tim Duncan. So, all that stuff is about the inherent legacy that you’ll continue to create.”
Brady’s decision to leave the Patriots makes a strong case that being a lifer is overrated. Raised in Northern California, Brady idolized Joe Montana growing up and saw him leave the 49ers for the Chiefs late in his career; Montana made the playoffs in two seasons in Kansas City, but the team fell short. So Brady knew the risk in leaving the comfort of home. And he discovered the upside. Winning his seventh ring in Tampa Bay only enhanced his legacy in New England even if it wasn’t in a Pats jersey. It became the ultimate validation of his greatness, proving he could win anywhere, with anyone.
Curry built his life in the Bay Area. The challenges of uprooting his family have to be part of the equation. But his on-court legacy is intact. If Steph were to leave Golden State, he’ll always be revered as a franchise legend. The statue is still gonna be built. The retired jersey number will still hang in the rafters. Steph still has room to climb up the all-time rankings, and at this point only rings will move him.
One of the greatest sacrifices of Steph’s career was allowing Kevin Durant to join the Warriors. Curry could have refused to cede some of the limelight. Instead, he chose to share it. KD helped him win two more rings, but ultimately took both Finals MVPs. And Steph’s numbers took a dip those years. But that choice was for the betterment of the franchise.
Leaving could also be for Golden State’s best. After all, as Steph himself said: There is a responsibility keeping the franchise in a good spot once he’s done. So what’s better for the Warriors: Hover around .500 for the foreseeable future or trade Steph for a haul before he declines and then rebuild? It’s quite clearly the latter. Especially with the 2025 and 2026 drafts headlined by generational talents like Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa. Flagg’s versatile upside or Dybantsa’s do-it-all talent would better define a rebuild than clinging to the past.
Maybe the Warriors luck into a top pick in the next two drafts. Maybe a star that fits becomes available. Maybe Steph’s Brady plan actually involves sticking around long enough for the team to reload for more runs.
But right now, the championship window is shut. And this season is over, so Curry has six months to ponder which door he walks through: the one that keeps him where it all began, or one that dares him to chase something even bigger.
