The urgency in which the Golden State Warriors have gone about the final years of Stephen Curry's prime has long been a talking point, with many believing the franchise hasn't done enough to prioritize their greatest ever player.
The Warriors have regularly kept their first-round picks rather than trade them for win-now talent, often looking to solidify their future by trying to draft another star which failed miserably with James Wiseman and has led to an awkward situation with Jonathan Kuminga.
Yet while Golden State remain protective of their future picks, they have shown a greater inclination in more recent times to cater towards Curry in creating a two-year window in which he, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are contracted for.
The Warriors are going some way to prioritizing Stephen Curry
Trading for a 35-year-old Butler was one thing, but the real commitment came through the two-year, $111 million extension which has so far worked in the Warriors' favor given he and Curry led the team out of the doldrums and to the second-round of the playoffs.
Butler was the right combination of experience and fit, leaving Golden State to try and do the same but on a lower scale of players in free agency this offseason. Aside from the Kuminga saga playing out, the Warriors are eager to bring in veterans who will know how to play alongside Curry and give him the best opportunity for success.
De'Anthony Melton proved himself as a great back court partner for Curry in their brief time together last season, while 39-year-old Al Horford is perhaps the most "Warrior-type" player you can think of that's never actually played for the franchise.
Gary Payton II spent years rolling around the league before finding a home playing with Curry in the Bay, with Golden State set to re-sign the veteran guard. Seth Curry is literally Stephen's brother, and if he's not signed then Malcolm Brogdon might be and you can easily envision him fitting in with his versatile skillset.
Aside from Melton who plays beyond his years, all these free agents are at least 32-years-old. That might be a problem in itself, but it does grant Curry the wish of playing alongside fellow veterans rather than a bunch of young players still trying to learn the game.
Speaking of which, remember that 2022-23 roster coming off a championship? The Warriors entered that season with six players on the main roster aged 23 or under who had three years or less of NBA experience. Four of those (Kuminga, Moses Moody, Patrick Baldwin Jr and Ryan Rollins) were 20-years-old entering their first of second season.
Golden State still have young players, but only two (Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos) will enter with the combination of youth (less than 23) and inexperience (less than three seasons). Will Richard might add to that group, but only as the final player on the roster and with four years of college experience anyway.
We can argue that the Warriors should still make more win-now moves, but it must be said that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are making a more concerted effort in prioritizing Curry than what we've seen at times in the past.