Warriors fans, brace yourselves. Die-hard followers of the other 29 NBA teams, especially the star-hungry Miami Heat, are coming for your guy Stephen Curry. And they have reason to.
With the Warriors striking out on LeBron James, Curry is staring at the inevitable. The same image that has appeared in his mind numerous times before the start of the season since Golden State won the title in 2022.
Curry has not requested a trade — he may never do that — and the Warriors have given no indication that they are open to moving on from the face that has carried the franchise to a multi-billion dollar entity over the last 17 years.
But that nudge is starting to kick in. Check that. It’s starting to become louder.
Prediction: Miami Heat Swing Big for Stephen Curry, Create Major Trio
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – NOVEMBER 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on November 10, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
When stars become available, the Heat is always in the mix. Like the Warriors, the Heat missed out on James. But unlike the Warriors, the Heat still has plenty to look forward to next season after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Golden State may not trade Curry, who will become eligible for a contract extension next month, this offseason, but the 12-time All-Star likely won’t extend the years on his contract. Because he absolutely shouldn’t.
Say it’s February 2027. The Warriors are the ninth seed and have just a puncher’s chance of surviving the play-in tournament, much less winning a playoff series. Prediction: Curry asks to be traded to the Heat, pairing him up with Antetokounmpo, one of his closer friends in the NBA.
Here’s a potential blockbuster four-team framework that pairs Curry with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo:
Heat receives: Steph Curry
Warriors receive: Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland II, two first round picks and one second round pick.
Bucks receive: Davion Mitchell, Gui Santos, Pelle Larsson and a 2031 second round pick
Pistons receive: Andrew Wiggins
Losing Wiggins and Mitchell would be significant for Miami, but if that’s the price to pay to get Antetokounmpo, arguably the world’s best interior player, and Curry, arguably the world’s best perimeter player, then so be it. With Curry, Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, the Heat would be firmly in the mix to compete for the Eastern Conference crown.
The Rumbling of a Curry Trade Are Suddenly Growing Louder After a Major Report
Curry, 38, remains an all-world player despite his age and recent injury history. As long as he is still among the 15 greatest players on Earth, he deserves another chance to play high-level basketball in a big market.
Unless the Warriors have something under their belt that no one sees coming, Curry will not win another championship in Golden State. Frankly, he might not ever win another playoff series.
Warriors insider Tim Kawakami threw out a major report earlier this month, saying Golden State has begun looking toward the future after James chose the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. If anything, that’ll raise Curry’s eyebrows, if not make him a little frustrated.
“What Lacob wants to do and this might get Warriors’ fans mad, but he wants to build the next team after Stephen Curry. I don’t know how possible that is. But Lacob has a very keen interest in, ‘This organization’s going to show what it can do with Steph Curry and then after him. I don’t think it’s going to be as good myself. But that’s what he wants to do,” Kawakami said on the TK Show.
NBA insider Kevin O’Conner seconded the idea of a Curry trade, calling for the Warriors to move the future Hall of Famer if they are content with wasting away the final years of his career.
“What a shame,” O’Conner wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Steph Curry is still one of the best players in the world. To not make an effort to win another title with him is truly a joke. And if you’re not gonna do that, then you have to trade him. Instead, the Warriors are just wasting Steph’s final years. So sad.”
It would pain Bay Area fans to watch Curry leave. But for the sake of the NBA, basketball in general, watching Curry playing in meaningful games again would make the league so much more fun to watch.
Miami Heat Predicted to Trade for Steph Curry After Major Warriors Insider Report