With the way owner Joe Lacob is talking about Stephen Curry, do not expect a trade for Kevin Durant any time soon.
While the Warriors lost a few notable pieces in free agency, mainly Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II, Lacob isn’t necessarily worried as he expects a similar level of play from the aging Curry and an improved play from several up-and-coming Warriors.
While his career has to eventually start to wane, Warriors owner Joe Lacob is not expecting that from Stephen Curry for quite some time.
Curry percentages were down this past season, but his impact, especially in the playoffs, was at an all-time high.
Curry won his first Finals MVP as well, helping lead the Dubs to a 4-2 series win over the Boston Celtics to claim their fourth title in eight seasons. The Warriors dynasty is back, and they looked as dominant as ever over their last two series.
The two-time MVP is now 34 years old, and while he’s still playing at a high level and may have even had his best season as a two-way player, the time is going to come where he starts to wear down.
The team’s owner is not expecting that time to be anytime soon.
“And I think, hopefully, we’re gonna be better next year. These young guys will be better. Steph’s still got it. I don’t see him going off a cliff. Sorry to the rest of the league. I don’t see him getting any worse… This guy is so well-conditioned, it’s unbelievable,” Lacob said on the Point Forward Podcast when speaking on Curry via Sports Illustrated’s Inside The Warriors.
Lacob makes one great point and that’s regarding Curry’s conditioning. He’s one of the most well-conditioned players in the league, and that’s a key reason why he’s been able to be the NBA’s best point guard for about a decade.
The next few seasons will be interesting for Curry as the team will undoubtedly have to transition to Jordan Poole or Jonathan Kuminga as the more prominent scoring option.
Curry will always be great, but it’s difficult to see him as dominant at 36 or 37. Then again, his shooting has been better than anyone else in league history, so with his deep threat, it’s easy to see why he may continue to succeed well into his late 30s.
Unless they make a blockbuster trade, the Warriors are set up for both short-term and long-term success, and that’s something the management team should be proud of.