Steve Kerr says the Warriors aren’t about to empty the cupboard just to chase one more run with Steph Curry.
As pressure grows for Golden State to swing a win-now deal, Kerr made it clear the team is protecting what little future it has left instead of pushing all its chips in for a quick fix. That means the Warriors are keeping their draft picks rather than packaging them in a blockbuster move.
“Do we throw away our entire future to build around a 39-year-old Steph? He turns 39 in March, right?
Does it make sense now to throw away all those picks? Hell no,” said Curry, via Logan Murdock.
“Our fan base might have been thrilled if we had traded five firsts and two of our better players for one of the big fish. They might have been happy for a year, and they might have been miserable for the next decade if it backfired.”
The reality around Golden State is harsh. The team is dealing with multiple players down and out for the count, and the situation has no obvious answer. The early optimism that usually comes with a new season has given way to a much bleaker picture in San Francisco, especially with the news surrounding sharpshooting big man Kristaps Porzingis, who may have played his last game as a pro.
Kerr also sounded resigned to where all of this may be heading. He recently signed a two-year extension, but he admitted the end could arrive with a familiar group walking away together.
“I signed for two years, and I can’t see myself walking away after this year, but it feels now like there’s some shape to this thing. There’s some clarity,” Kerr added.
“I could see this ending where Steph, Dray, we all leave around the same time. I could see that happening.”
There was a time when the Warriors would have used draft picks to keep stacking talent around Curry, when the roster still had the kind of core that made those kinds of moves feel justified. That team is long gone. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole are all gone now, and the Warriors are a shell of what they used to be.
Once viewed as underdogs in the West entering this season, they’ve slipped into something even worse: a borderline afterthought. Kerr’s comments reflect that new reality, one where the franchise is thinking less about one last desperate swing and more about what comes next.
For Golden State, that means leaning toward the future and developing young players like Yaxel Lendeborg rather than stripping away assets for a long-shot chance to help Curry capture another ring.
In Other News...
Warriors May Be Forced Into A Frontcourt Move Sooner Than Expected
The Warriors frontcourt depth is already looking fragile before the season has even had a chance to settle in. Kristaps Porzingis is sidelined by an illness, Charles Bassey is dealing with knee tendinitis, and that leaves Golden State leaning on Al Horford, whose minutes will have to be managed, plus two-way player Graham Ike to handle center duty.
For a team built on precision and versatility, that kind of uncertainty in the middle is hard to ignore. It puts pressure on the Warriors to sort through the market for another body, and possibly a more meaningful upgrade, sooner rather than later as they try to protect themselves from being too thin at one of the most important spots on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face A Costly Win-Now Decision At Center
The Warriors are once again weighing whether to push harder into the present or protect what little flexibility they still have left. With conversations reportedly having taken place with the Bucks about Kristaps Porzingis and Myles Turner, Golden State is exploring a center upgrade that could reshape its rotation while also carrying a real cost in draft capital, another player and more room to maneuver in free agency.
Myles Turners contract only adds to the complexity, since any move for him would tighten the Warriors long-term options even further. Milwaukee, for now, does not appear eager to make a deal, leaving Golden State in a familiar spot: trying to decide how much future value it is willing to spend in order to bolster the roster right away. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerrs Jimmy Butler Update Says A Lot About Warriors Ceiling
The Warriors are heading into their 2026-27 opener against the Lakers with Jimmy Butler still on the sideline, but there is at least a positive sign on the injury front. Steve Kerr said Butler is doing well in his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered a year ago, and he was recently spotted working out in the teams weight room as the season approaches.
Kerr also spoke about what Butler brings when he is on the floor, pointing to the veterans unique presence and mentality. For Golden State, that kind of update matters because it speaks not just to Butlers health, but to how much higher the teams ceiling could climb once he is back in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]