The Golden State Warriors' future beyond Stephen Curry's next contract (which he'll hopefully sign in the near future) is certainly cloudy.
They don't truly have a franchise cornerstone, or even a star-level player to hinge things upon, unless you count Brandin Podziemski, who is eligible for an extension this offseason but will likely be sorted out once he hits restricted free agency. They do, though, have the financial flexibility to assemble one more deep supporting cast for Curry next offseason, assuming they're willing to move on from most of their financial commitments when the opportunity presents itself.
ESPN's decision to bump Golden State down to 19th on their three-year power rankings, when they were ranked sixth last year, makes perfect sense in that context. Even assuming Curry remains at the top of his game, all of their veterans are a year older, and their future is too uncertain to give any truly favorable projections over the duration of whatever Curry's next contract looks like.
But the Warriors' future beyond the Curry era—and beyond those three years—isn't completely bleak. They're still in possession of all of their first-round picks between now and 2033, and if they play their cards right, there's certainly a path back to relevancy. Other teams have done it, so why not the Warriors?
Warriors will need to handle their assets responsibly if they want to truly survive the post-Curry era
Granted, there's not truly a situation currently in the NBA that's comparable to the one the Warriors are facing with Curry. Not only has Curry been with the team for 17 seasons, but the entirety of their identity has been built around him for over a decade now. Moving on from that sort of superstar is certainly not going to be easy, and there's a real chance things look pretty grim for the Warriors in the short-term after his inevitable retirement.
But we've seen teams do more with less flexibility. The Suns worked their way into competitiveness last season with almost no draft capital at their disposal and just one year removed from a host of bad contracts tanking their playoff chances. On a broader timeline, we've seen teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder bounce back spectacularly from losing franchise-defining stars through a careful collection of draft capital and positive assets.
The opportunity is there, no matter if Golden State wants to play the long game or the short one.
There's certainly a case to be made that the Warriors should go all-in on a star now to maximize what they have left of Curry, especially one that will continue to be in their prime past the end of the aging star's career. But there's also a middle ground, and it might be the path that makes more sense.
This roster might not be championship-worthy with simply a few minor additions, but there will be enough room on the trade market and in free agency to surround Curry with capable two-way contributors given the cap space Golden State is projected to have next offseason. If they can create a competitive roster while hanging onto their future draft capital and maximizing their first-round selections between now and the end of Curry's career, they can put together a strong young core to help carry the team into its next era.
Yaxel Lendeborg is a solid start. Would trading him or future first-round draft capital for a piece like Paolo Banchero put this team in the same stratosphere as the Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs right now? Probably not.
While a three-year outlook for this team currently seems middling, that doesn't mean that a careful allocation of assets during that span can't set them up well for the future. As much ire as Golden State's front office has drawn, they're at least capable of accomplishing that.
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