The idea of Stephen Curry in a Celtics uniform is the kind of offseason fantasy that can take over a quiet corner of the internet fast. Boston’s roster is mostly set, the free-agent market is thinning out, and with not much else moving around the league, speculation has started to drift toward Golden State’s future - and Curry’s place in it.
That chatter picked up after The San Francisco Chronicle’s Tim Kawakami reported that the Warriors’ front office has begun to think about life after Curry. On The TK Show, Kawakami said, "What (Joe) Lacob wants to do, and this might get Warriors' fans mad, but he wants to build the next team after Steph Curry," He later clarified on social media that Golden State is also very interested in winning with Curry around, too.
Curry has one season left on his contract and could reach free agency next summer, though it would be a surprise if he and the Warriors didn’t work out an extension soon. Still, the possibility is enough to get people talking about what would happen if he ever did become available.
Boston, at least on paper, has the pieces to make a run at it. The Celtics could use Paul George’s contract to match Curry’s salary in a sign-and-trade, and they have draft picks to add to the package. In theory, a deal could be built.
In practice, though, it would be a dangerous move.
Curry will turn 39 in March, which means any Boston arrival would come with him entering his age-40 season. That’s a steep bet to make, especially if it costs the Celtics a big chunk of their draft capital for a player in the final stretch of an all-time career.
Boston should know better than most. The franchise’s own path to sustained success was built in part on the other side of this exact kind of deal: trading 36-year-old Paul Pierce, 37-year-old Kevin Garnett, and 35-year-old Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for a haul of first-round picks.
Those veterans faded, the Nets fell short, and the Celtics cashed in when Brooklyn’s picks turned into Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
That’s why the warning here is simple. Curry’s shot will always play.
That part of his game isn’t going anywhere. But the rest of it - the movement, the defense, the ability to hold up physically on both ends - is another story.
A 6-foot-3 guard in his 40s could become a major defensive issue.
If Boston were to send out the 2028 pick swap it got when it traded Brown earlier this month, plus its own 2030 and 2032 picks, it would be paying a huge price for a player who might be gone by the time those selections come due.
Fun idea? Sure.
Smart idea? Probably not.
The Celtics would be wise not to repeat history in the wrong direction.
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The catch is the same one that follows almost every big-name addition at this stage of the calendar: money. Boston would have to sort through a cap picture that gets complicated in a hurry, which is why the idea is intriguing but far from simple, especially with other teams in the mix and the kind of competition that can force a front office to move quickly. [Read more 🡒]
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For Boston fans, the timing is what makes it linger, especially with the long-running debate over how Tatum and Jaylen Brown fit together behind the scenes as much as they did on the floor. There have been outside voices over the years questioning Browns personality, but whatever the noise, the two spent nine seasons together and still managed to deliver the 2024 title after plenty of heartbreak and playoff frustration, which is why any hint of tension between them still lands with extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Are Asking Payton Pritchard To Solve Their Biggest Problem
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What makes the idea intriguing is that Pritchards best traits have often lived in the margins of Bostons offense. He has been especially effective in isolation and on pull-up jumpers, yet previous seasons never fully tapped into that skill set. Now the Celtics seem ready to lean into it, betting that a bigger role can help smooth over the loss of Brown and keep the attack from losing too much of its punch. [Read more 🡒]