It’s hard to imagine now-Stephen Curry in anything but a Warriors jersey-but once upon a time, rival GMs at least asked the question: What would it take to trade for him?
According to former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers, one of those persistent voices belonged to none other than Danny Ainge. During a 2024 podcast appearance, Myers shared that Ainge, then running basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, routinely checked in about Curry’s availability. And while those calls never crossed the line into disrespect, they were memorable.
“One guy took a shot, you know who he is… Ainge was the one that was always asking,” Myers said. “A GM’s job is to mine for trades… Ainge recommended me for the job.
I owed my career to him, so I can’t be upset with Ainge. We just laughed… Everybody knew that wasn’t happening.”
That last part is key: Everybody knew that wasn’t happening. Because inside the Warriors’ front office, trading Curry wasn’t even a conversation worth entertaining.
The timing of those inquiries makes them even more fascinating in hindsight. Under Myers’ leadership from 2012 to 2023, Golden State didn’t just build a winner-they built a dynasty.
Four championships. A revolution in how the game is played.
And at the center of it all was Curry, whose shooting gravity changed defensive schemes across the league. You don’t trade that.
You build around it.
But Ainge has never been shy about chasing stars, no matter how unlikely the odds. He swung big to assemble Boston’s 2008 title team by trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
And when it was time to pivot, he pulled off the blockbuster deal that sent Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn-a trade that eventually turned into Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. So Ainge asking about Curry?
That’s just part of his DNA as an executive. Always fishing.
Always looking for the next big move.
Ironically, Curry was nearly traded once-back in 2012, when Golden State discussed sending him to Milwaukee in a deal for Andrew Bogut. That deal ended up happening, but with Monta Ellis heading to the Bucks instead. The rest, as they say, is history.
Fast-forward to today, and Curry is still the face of the franchise-but the landscape around him looks different. The Warriors are currently hovering in the Western Conference play-in picture, a far cry from the top-tier expectations they brought into the season.
Injuries have been a major disruptor. Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL was a gut punch just as the team was finding its rhythm, and Curry himself has dealt with knee issues that sidelined him during key stretches, including the All-Star break.
“We’re in a decent spot right now,” Curry said recently. “We’re not where we want to be.
It’s not where we set out to be when we started the year. And like I said, Jimmy going down was a tough blow because we were really starting to take off.”
In a bid to shore up their frontcourt, Golden State added Kristaps Porziņģis at the trade deadline. The move adds size and scoring inside, but Porziņģis’ own health history means the Warriors are still dealing with question marks. That said, with Curry, Draymond Green, and a core that’s been through the playoff gauntlet more than once, Golden State is banking on experience to carry them through the stretch run.
Even as the Warriors navigate this new chapter, the idea that someone-anyone-thought Curry could be pried away is a reminder of just how coveted he’s always been. But for Golden State, he’s never just been a trade asset.
He’s been the asset. The foundation.
The culture. The reason banners hang in Chase Center.
And no matter how many times Danny Ainge picked up the phone, that was never going to change.