The Golden State Warriors are staring at a future that looks a lot different from the one built around Steph Curry. With Curry getting older and another extension looming, there’s still no clear answer on whether he’ll sign it, and the uncertainty has only sharpened the questions around where this team is headed.
Golden State hasn’t done much to truly reshape the roster around its franchise star. Instead, the Warriors have mostly brought back familiar faces, a point NBA writer Jake Weinbach highlighted when he noted, “The Warriors are officially running it back despite missing the playoffs last season. Golden State re-signed Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II this summer,"
That approach is exactly why ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins said Curry should start thinking about his next move.
“Steph needs to be planning his exit strategy from the Golden State Warriors," said Perkins on 'NBA Today'." Think about it, over the last four years, the Warriors have been in the play-in tournament.
And this year, the way that the West is stacked up, they're gonna be a play-in tournament team again. You can't waste any more time hoping and banking that Mike Dunleavy is gonna get it right or is gonna make the moves that are needed to make sure that you can compete for a title, especially in a tough Western Conference.”
If the situation ever gets to that point, Curry would still carry enormous trade value. SI’s Eric Jay Santos floated a deal that would send him to the Houston Rockets for Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet, JD Davison and draft compensation.
“Due to his $62.5 million salary for the 2026-2027 regular season, there aren’t many routes for the Rockets to acquire Curry via trade. One of the most realistic offers that Houston’s front office can make is Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., JD Davison, and draft compensation,” Santos wrote.
From Golden State’s perspective, that package would at least bring back a young piece in Smith Jr. But it would also leave the Warriors with VanVleet, who is already in the later stretch of his career. VanVleet and Smith Jr. are tied to contracts worth a combined $172 million.
If a trade like that ever happened, it would signal a major break from the dynasty the Warriors built around Curry. And depending on how the next stretch plays out, Golden State may eventually have no alternative but to move on from its biggest star and start over.
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Warriors May Have Just One Way To Ease Stephen Curry Frustration
The Warriors are still trying to thread a difficult roster needle, and the latest twist only sharpens the pressure around Stephen Currys long-term comfort level in Golden State. With limited room to maneuver and a clear emphasis on preserving future draft capital, the front office does not have many easy routes to make the team better in the short term, especially as the market continues to reshape around them.
One potential answer has been sitting in plain sight: Seth Curry. Bringing back Stephens younger brother would not solve every issue on the roster, but it could offer a familiar, practical move at a time when the Warriors need to show they are still trying to support their franchise star. It is not a certainty, and it is not the sort of splashy addition that changes the conversation overnight, but it is one of the few paths that could help ease some of the frustration building around Currys situation. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Trade Looks Smarter As Buddy Hield's Situation Gets Murkier
Buddy Hields summer has turned into one of those situations that can linger well into camp, with his $9.7 million contract for the upcoming season now fully guaranteed by Atlanta after there were early expectations the Hawks might move on. The deal initially looked like it could be headed for a different outcome, but the guarantee keeps Hield on the books and gives the Hawks a veteran wing as they continue to reshape the edges of the roster.
The bigger issue now is fit. Atlanta has added more wing depth and already sits at a full roster, which leaves little obvious room for Hield and even less clarity about where he fits if he stays put. Nearly two months after the guarantee, there still has not been any reported trade activity around him, so the possibility remains that the Hawks simply carry him into the season and sort out the rotation later. [Read more 🡒]
Yaxel Lendeborg Suddenly Has A Real Warriors Opportunity
Yaxel Lendeborg arrived in the summer as a fresh name with real momentum, and he left it looking like much more than a draft pick trying to find his footing. Selected 11th overall and then turning in a strong Summer League run that helped the Warriors win the title, he also walked away with MVP honors, which is about as loud an introduction as a young forward can make in July.
Now the conversation around Lendeborg is shifting from Summer League success to actual responsibility, and that is where the intrigue starts for Golden State. With the roster largely unchanged around him, there is suddenly a path for him to matter right away, whether in a starting role or as a significant part of the regular rotation, and the Warriors will spend camp finding out just how quickly his game can translate. [Read more 🡒]