Stephen Curry is still one of the best players in the league—point blank. And as long as that statement is true, the Golden State Warriors have a chance to compete for a championship.
Sure, Yaxel Lendeborg has gotten the bulk of the publicity to this point in the season, and rightfully so. He's far exceeded expectations already for the 11th overall pick in the draft, and it's been his emergence as a secondary offensive option for Golden State that has allowed it to rattle off five straight wins after what seemed like a disastrous start to the season.
But the primary option, far and away, is still Curry—and that's a remarkable feat at 38 years old.
Last night, with Lendeborg suffering from poor shooting against a physical Phoenix Suns defense, Curry took over the game, posting 34 points, six rebounds, and seven assists while hitting five of his 13 shots from beyond the arc. It wasn't the most efficient game for the star, and the Warriors certainly don't want him to need to play like that every night.
But it served as a potent reminder—this team can still compete if everything goes right, and that requires the Warriors to put their chips on the table.
The Golden State Warriors are now in a position to part with future draft capital if the right opportunity arises
There's a reason the Warriors have held onto their post-Curry draft capital—there's a belief around the organization that this team can't afford to completely bottom out after his departure. When you're running a business, and not just a basketball team, that's a justifiable stance to take.
Golden State, moreover, already made one massive move that was meant to bring hope for contention back to the team before the end of Curry's career; the Jimmy Butler trade. But injuries have gotten in the way of that coming to fruition.
With both of these considerations taken in a vacuum, it might make sense to let Curry simply ride into the sunset on a mediocre team. But we're talking about Curry here, and he is playing at an unprecedented level for a point guard at his age. Through his first six games this season, Curry is averaging 30 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc. These aren't just viable numbers—these are MVP-worthy numbers if the Warriors were somehow good enough to end up among the league's top regular season teams.
Right now, they certainly aren't. But they have the financial flexibility to pull off a move without seriously compromising their depth, and that's something they haven't had in a long time. All of Kristaps Porzingis, Butler's, and Draymond Green's contracts are expiring, giving the Warriors nearly $95 million in immanently movable salary. It would help, of course, if Porzingis and Butler were active, but that's not a complete hindrance to a deal. Golden State also has Moses Moody's salary, at $11 million, to toss in as a potential sweetener in any deal.
There will certainly be some debate over what type of piece the Warriors should add. Their most immediate need is for a center, but it's hard to identify one around the league who could make the sort of difference the Warriors need in terms of their contender status. Adding a top wing and a viable rotational center, though, without giving up Green would likely be their best move, and they could likely find a way to package together contracts to get that done.
It's been a constant refrain for the Warriors over the past few seasons—don't waste the end of Curry's career. But it takes on a different complexion when he's playing at this sort of level, and the longer he sustains it, the more the urgency on Golden State should ramp up to pull off a move.
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