Even after back-to-back wins-including a solid showing against the Magic-the Golden State Warriors are still stuck in NBA limbo.
They’re sitting at 15-15, eighth in the Western Conference, and feeling more like a team between chapters than one writing a new one. They’re too competitive to tank, but nowhere near the level of a real contender. And that’s the kind of in-between space where the noise starts getting louder.
Let’s be honest: this roster’s aging. The margin for error is razor-thin.
And Steve Kerr is feeling the heat-not from his job security, but from the growing questions around how the younger pieces, especially Jonathan Kuminga, are being used. When a franchise starts to drift, the outside world starts tossing around big, wild ideas.
Enter Bill Simmons.
On his podcast, Simmons floated a trade scenario that would’ve been unthinkable a few years ago: send Stephen Curry to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball and a pile of draft picks.
“Curry grew up there. His dad is there.
He’s joked about ending his career there,” Simmons said. “I don’t think this Warriors team has any chance.
Can we just do LaMelo and a bunch of picks, send Curry back to Charlotte, and let’s go?”
Now, let’s be clear-this wasn’t a sourced report or a front-office leak. Simmons and Tim Legler treated it like a thought experiment, not a trade proposal with legs. No one in Golden State is picking up the phone and pitching this right now.
But the reason it even sparked conversation is because it touches on a very real, very pressing question: What exactly are the Warriors building toward?
Curry is 37. He’s under contract through next season, with a $62 million price tag waiting in 2026-27.
The rest of the West is getting younger, deeper, and more dangerous by the month. Teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio are built for the long haul.
The Warriors? Not so much.
Meanwhile, in Charlotte, the Hornets haven’t been in the playoff picture for nearly a decade. A Curry homecoming would be a marketing dream-jerseys, ticket sales, national buzz. And with LaMelo Ball’s long-term fit in Charlotte still a bit murky, the idea-while far-fetched-has enough intrigue to make it a fun conversation piece.
Will it happen? No.
Is it entertaining to imagine? Absolutely.
But beneath the buzz is a deeper truth: Golden State is at a crossroads. The dynasty days are in the rearview.
The future? That’s still being written-and the clock on Curry’s prime isn’t slowing down.