The Golden State Warriors want Stephen Curry to retire in the only uniform he has worn. But general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. made an eyebrow-raising public concession Thursday: If Curry asks to be traded, the franchise would consider it.
“Ultimately it’s his call, his decision, whether that’s allowing his contract to run out and move on or — look, if he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe and I will talk it through,” Dunleavy said, referring to owner Joe Lacob. “We wouldn’t love it. But he’s earned the right to do what he wants.”
It is the first time the Warriors have publicly outlined such a possibility, even as Dunleavy insisted that there is no indication Curry wants anything other than to remain in Golden State.
“I’m pretty confident Steph will finish his career [with the Warriors],” Dunleavy said. “But as far as the messaging or any idea that he’d be anywhere else, that’s not a thing we’re looking at or he’s looking at.”
The admission lands after an offseason that tested the Warriors’ appetite for going all-in around Curry — and revived questions about what comes after him.
Warriors’ Offseason Misses Raised the Stakes
Getty The Golden State Warriors failed to bring LeBron James and Anthony Davis to team up with Stephen Curry.
Golden State pursued LeBron James after his departure from the Lakers, envisioning a late-career partnership between two generational stars. The Warriors also explored an Anthony Davis trade that could have made their pitch to James more compelling.
Neither plan materialized.
The Warriors’ pursuit of Jaylen Brown also fell short. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Golden State could have entered the Brown sweepstakes by offering roughly four first-round picks, but the Warriors declined to meet Boston’s asking price.
Philadelphia ultimately acquired Brown for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-rounders. Adding Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe gave the 76ers the kind of ready-made title case that appealed to James, who signed in Philadelphia.
The result left Golden State to confront a familiar question: How much should it sacrifice to give Curry one more authentic championship opportunity?
Joe Lacob Wants Warriors To Remain Competitive Post-Steph Curry
Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard outlined the competing priority after the Warriors missed on James. On The TK Show, Kawakami said Lacob has “a very keen interest” in building the Warriors’ next team after Curry.
“I don’t know how possible that is,” Kawakami said, “but that’s what he wants to do.”
That does not mean the Warriors are abandoning Curry’s window. It explains why the franchise has been reluctant to empty its draft cupboard for every available star.
Dunleavy has made that philosophy clear. In a March conversation with Kawakami, he explained why the Warriors valued the Jimmy Butler trade: It added a star without costing them future first-round picks.
“I think we’re always being disciplined about using those picks, considering them in trades, things like that,” Dunleavy said at the time. “But when you’re put in a situation like this, where your best players are out and you’re struggling to win games, I think you appreciate having that draft capital moving forward.”
That philosophy helps explain Golden State’s reluctance to empty its draft cupboard for Brown or Davis. It also creates the tension behind Dunleavy’s latest Curry comments.
Stephen Curry Can Sign Another Extension This Month
Curry becomes eligible to sign a two-year extension on Aug. 29. A maximum deal could be worth approximately $136.7 million and keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season.
Dunleavy said Curry has never raised the possibility of retiring elsewhere.
“He hasn’t,” Dunleavy said. “That’s always been the message. That’s always been what he’s discussed. I think that’s tracking quite well.”
The Warriors’ preferred ending remains clear. So does Curry’s priority.
“There are two things I’m confident about with Steph,” Dunleavy said. “He really, really wants to win and he wants to finish his career as a Warrior.”
Dunleavy’s trade comment did not signal an imminent split. It recognized a basic reality: Curry has earned the right to determine how his story ends.
For the Warriors, the harder task is ensuring their cautious approach to life after Curry does not leave him without the realistic path to one more title that he still expects.
Warriors GM Reveals Intriguing Stephen Curry Trade Stance as Extension Looms