Stephen Curry was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. A skinny point guard out of Davidson was ready to set the league on fire with his shooting ability. Many questions surrounded Curry regarding his size, and how he would transfer into the Association. Well, 10 years later, Curry is in year two of a five-year, $201 million deal, and is regarded as the best shooter of all-time. However, this was not Curry's first deal.
The two-time MVP signed a four-year, $44 million extension to stay in Oakland in 2012. The Warriors received criticism on that deal given the fact that Curry had only played 26 games the season before because of ankle problems. Little did they know that they just made the best decision ever in Warriors' franchise history. Curry is currently a two-time MVP, and three-time NBA Champion. That one contract extension given on Halloween night was the first step in building one of the best dynasties in NBA history.
Were there other teams interested? Curry was never one to speak out on free agency. He did, however, voice his intentions to stay in Oakland. Many teams could have benefited from adding a star point guard to their roster. Here are five teams that could have traded for Curry during the 2012 season.
5. Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats became the Charlotte Hornets after the 2013-2014 season. The key word in all of this is Charlotte. Curry grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina where his father spent most of his career as a member of the Hornets. The Bobcats were a team that planned on making a run at Curry, and could have used family as a recruiting tool.
The Bobcats are remembered as poor franchise in the NBA. They finished 7-59 during a strike shortened season in 2011-2012. During their 10-year run, the Bobcats made the playoffs just twice. One of their playoff appearances came in 2013-2014. This was Charlotte's last season as the Bobcats, and one year after Curry signed his contract to remain a Warrior. Charlotte finished 43-39, and grabbed the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
That Bobcats' team was led by Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, who is still in Charlotte. Every NFL season, Curry is seen in a Panthers' jersey supporting his hometown team. The Bobcats had money, ties to family, and an up-and-coming superstar in Walker. It would have been interesting to see Curry's reaction to a trade offer from his hometown team.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
This was the transitional period for the Lakers. The 2012-2013 season was their eighth season in a row in the playoffs, and just three years past winning back-to-back titles. The Lakers brought in Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to join Kobe Bryant. What was supposed to be a big three, turned into one of the biggest failed experiments ever. Howard was gone the following season. Bryant and Nash combined to play just 21 games in 2013-2014. The Lakers have not been in the playoffs since.
Bryant and Nash have since retired. Howard has made a few stops, but is currently rehabbing an injury in Washington. LeBron James is now a Laker who is trying to trade for Anthony Davis. The moral of the story is that the Lakers are not afraid to make the big move.
There were a lot of moving parts in Los Angeles during that time. With knowledge of Bryant and Nash retirements coming soon, the Lakers had a chance to bring over Curry from the Warriors. That would have been the quick rebuild that the Lakers needed.
3. Miami Heat
During the 2012-2013 season, the Heat just finished winning their second straight NBA Championship. The following season, they went to their fourth in a row. James had built an all-star team along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Did they really need Curry? Why not when their point guard was Mario Chalmers. The Heat had players like Chalmers, Norris Cole, Michael Beasley, and Chris Andersen that they could have sent to the Warriors. Draft picks would have sweetened the deal.
When James was in Miami, the Heat made two first round selections. They drafted Arnett Moultrie in 2012, and P.J. Hairston in 2014. Whatever draft picks were available, the Heat could have sent in the deal. This was also a deal for the future. James was set to be a free agent, and he ultimately decided to go back to Cleveland. The addition of Curry could have either persuaded James to stick around, or replace him.
Was this feasible at the time? Probably not. It seems unnecessary, but the Heat could have built a dynasty that would have been much bigger than the current Warriors.
2. New York Knicks
The Knicks will forever be tied to Curry. On that summer night in 2009, boo's rained down in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks were prepared to pick eighth in the draft. They had their eyes on a certain point guard, however the Warriors snagged him one pick before. The Knicks showered the seventh overall pick with boo's, but they were directed at the Warriors. They stole the Knicks' future franchise player. Who did New York end up drafting? Cover your eyes, Knicks' fans. The answer is Jordan Hill.
In 2012-2013, the Knicks had won their first playoff series in 13 years. It was their third consecutive season in the playoffs. The Pacers handed them a second round exit after a beat down in the series. The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony, and seemed like they were one player away.
The Knicks could have put together a package of players like Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Raymond Felton, and Amare Stoudemire. At the time, it was a lot better than it seems now.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
This is the closest Curry ever was to ending up on another team. In March of 2012, the Warriors were determined to get Andrew Bogut on the team. The deal ended up going down that sent Bogut to Golden State in return for Monta Ellis. He was coming off seasons of 25.5 and 24.1 points per game. In 2012-2013, Ellis was scoring 21.9 points per contest as a Warrior.
This is relevant because the Warriors were ready to make Ellis their franchise guy, and ship Curry to Milwaukee. The reason that Curry remained in Oakland was a fear from the Bucks' medical staff. They did not believe that Curry's body could hold up after playing just 26 games the year before.
To summarize, the Bucks wanted one of the Warriors' point guards. Golden State was ready to send Curry to the Bucks, but Milwaukee was worried of his injury history. Ellis went to Milwaukee, and played 103 games in under two seasons. Curry remained a Warrior, and is now one of the best players in the league. It's amazing how things work out.
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