The Warriors may be talking like 2026-27 is a reset year, but that kind of plan gets a lot riskier when Stephen Curry is still on the roster and still playing at a high level.
According to Warriors insider Monte Poole, Golden State is setting itself up for a “gap year” built around internal development. That explanation fits the offseason they actually had: no trades, no free-agent additions, and a team that just went 37-45. But the idea only makes sense on paper if you ignore the biggest detail in the building - Curry is 38, healthy, and still excellent.
He may not be in the MVP mix anymore, but he has not fallen off in any dramatic way. The problem is everything around him.
Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are still working back from injuries, while Draymond Green, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis have been showing their age. On top of that, Golden State doesn’t exactly have a wave of young talent ready to take the baton.
That’s the real issue with the “gap year” language. If the Warriors had a young core on the rise, it would be easier to swallow.
Instead, their younger group is basically 23-year-old rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandin Podziemski and the injured Moody. Beyond that, there isn’t much help coming.
Butler’s contract is also expiring, which leaves Golden State short on obvious trade pieces unless it’s willing to gut the future by moving all its picks - something the organization has been reluctant to do.
So the question becomes less about the Warriors’ long-term plan and more about Curry’s tolerance for it. He may be perfectly happy spending his entire career in one uniform, closing it out as a four-time champion and the greatest player in franchise history. That’s the clean ending everyone in Golden State would love.
But there’s another possibility: Curry could get tired of waiting. There’s at least a chance he grows frustrated with an organization that either can’t or won’t keep a true contender around him. If that happens, it’s not hard to imagine him wanting his final years spent in meaningful games instead of on the edge of the lottery.
That’s where the Celtics enter the picture. Boston needs to be watching this situation closely, especially with all the Curry-to-Jayson Tatum chatter that has already surfaced this offseason. If Curry ever decides to leave - whether through a trade or as a free agent next summer - the Celtics should be ready to move to the front of the line.
They have ways to make it work now, including Paul George’s salary along with young players and picks. If the timing shifts to a year from now, Boston could explore a sign-and-trade or even try to land him in free agency on a cheaper deal if he wants to follow the LeBron James route.
However it plays out, the Celtics have options, and they could offer Curry a clear path to another title with one of the league’s most recognizable franchises. Maybe it never gets that far. But the Warriors are pushing their luck, and with a player like Curry, that kind of gamble can blow up fast.
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