Let’s be clear: The Golden State Warriors are not looking to trade star point guard Stephen Curry, and on the flip side, Curry is not seeking a trade away from the team for which he has suited up for 17 seasons. In an ideal world, Curry will remain a Warrior through the rest of his career. But also in an ideal world the Warriors would be NBA championship contenders, or at least, they’d be contenders to get to the Finals. Or the Western Conference finals. Or even the playoffs.
But the Warriors’ current situation is a lot more dodgy. The team has two starters–Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody— on the shelf with knee injuries, Butler recovering from a torn ACL and Moody coming back from a torn patellar tendon. Neither will be ready for the start of the season, and both are likely to be out until January, at minimum.
Over the summer, the Warriors did virtually nothing, failing to land LeBron James in a longshot bid for the future Hall of Famer, adding rookie Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick, and pretty much running back the same roster as was in place last season, when Golden State won 37 games and was ousted in the play-in tournament.
Warriors Back in the Play-In Tournament?
Unless Lendeborg is an immediate star and the rest of the roster gets remarkably healthy remarkably fast, the Warriors are probably headed for the play-in tournament again in a tougher Western Conference.
With that in mind, former NBA champ and ESPN talking head Kendrick Perkins says that Curry should be thinking less about what the Warriors will do in 2026-27 and more about what he will do for his own career beyond that.
Stephen Curry Knows Warriors ‘Not a Championship Roster’
Speaking on “NBA Today,” Perkins said the Warriors’ outlook remains grim.
“Steph needs to be planning his exit strategy from the Golden State Warriors. Not this year, but think about it: Over the last four years, the Warriors have been in the play-in tournament. And guess what? This year, the way that the West has stacked up? They’re going to be a play-in tournament team again.
“So, if you’re Stephen Curry, going on the age of 39, and you look at this roster knowing that you have four NBA championships and knowing what a championship roster looks like, you can’t waste any more time hoping and thinking that Mike Dunleavy is going to get it right or make the moves that’s needed to make sure you’re able to compete for a title, especially in a tough Western Conference.”
Most Want to See Stephen Curry Stay Put
There have been rumors that perhaps Curry will, eventually, push for a trade or an exit in general. He is due for an extension from the Warriors next month, and with one year on his contract, he could use the threat of free agency to get Golden State to make moves he wants them to make.
That’s never really been Curry’s style, though. He generally leaves the front office to do front office things. It’s likely that he keeps on pushing forward with this team, and most would prefer to see him wrap up his career in the Bay Area. But it would be nice to see him on the big stage again.
Said Perkins: “I want Steph Curry to retire in a Warriors uniform, but I also want to watch Steph Curry play meaningful basketball. I want Steph Curry to be playing when it matters the most. With this roster and what they have, it’s not going to be there any time soon.”
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