The idea of Stephen Curry ever leaving the Golden State Warriors remains far-fetched, but stranger things have happened in the NBA.
The four-time NBA champion could put a stop to the rumors by signing an extension with the Warriors this summer. But until that happens, the chatter refuses to die down, given that Curry turns 39 next March and has a limited window to win another title.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor believes the Charlotte Hornets, Curry’s hometown franchise, is the only team with a semi-realistic chance of landing the legendary sharpshooter. Curry himself previously hinted that he could join the Hornets when he joked about his father letting him wear his retired No. 30 jersey number.
Stephen Curry to Hornets?
“…Sometimes with humor, there is some truth in it,” O’Connor said, reflecting on Dell Curry’s jersey retirement ceremony when Steph joked about playing in Charlotte.
“Because I’m sure in the back of Steph’s mind, he’s wondered, ‘Hey, what would it be like to play for Charlotte?’ So, I do think, you look at this Hornets team, they traded LaMelo Ball, they have a hole in the backcourt. Stephen Curry, if he wanted to, could go fill that void,” added O’Connor.
The insider then floated the following Warriors trade proposal, which would see the Bay Area franchise land rookie Christian Anderson Jr., 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Salaun, some veterans to make the money work, and a pile of first-round draft picks.
Warriors would receive: Christian Anderson Jr, Tidjane Salaun, Grayson Allen, Grant Williams, Tre Mann, a whole bunch of picks
Hornets would receive: Stephen Curry
Charlotte Hornets get: — Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors get: — Christian Anderson Jr — Tidjane Salaun — Grayson Allen — Grant Williams — Tre Mann — A whole bunch of picks
Will Warriors Trade Stephen Curry?
After the Warriors lost Jimmy Butler III to a season-ending injury earlier this year, Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh explained why nobody would blame Curry for seeking a trade from Golden State as he continues his pursuit of another ring.
The insider highlighted that Curry, who has only one year left on his contract, can either leave the Warriors as a free agent or force the issue and join the Hornets.
“The door was always open to [Curry] to go elsewhere [after 2027], but it was only open a crack,” Haberstroh said in January.
“But now with Jimmy Butler’s injury, the crack opens up a lot more.”
“I still think he’s gonna be a Warrior for life, but if he says, ‘This has run its course, I want to compete at the highest level,’ I think that conversation becomes more real.”
The Warriors enter the new season with Butler and Moses Moody on the shelf, and uncertainty around Kristaps Porzingis’ health. If the old and battered Warriors are once again a mediocre team, the buzz of a Stephen Curry trade will only grow louder.
Warriors Insider Proposes Stephen Curry to Hornets Blockbuster