Clock is ticking on the Golden State Warriors. There was already much urgency to surround Stephen Curry with as much talent as possible as they look to give the four-time NBA champion a shot at another ring, but it became even more clear with the way that Curry performed in the final two games of Team USA's gold-medal run in the 2024 Paris Olympics that the team had a sense of responsibility to give Curry the best shot at winning as possible.
Curry is already 36 years of age, and at this point, there are no guarantees just how long he'll remain as one of the best players in the association. Alas, the Warriors struck out in their pursuit of multiple stars, namely Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, and the Dubs will be proceeding into the 2024-25 season with much uncertainty regarding their contending status.
Nonetheless, Stephen Curry reportedly hasn't “expressed any signs of panic or unrest” after the Warriors' failed trade pursuit for a second star, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Curry has not completely ruled out the possibility of leaving the Warriors in the event that they become one of the worst teams in the association. But the Dubs' roster, as presently constructed, should be good enough to challenge for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference — which could be enough to keep Curry satisfied in the latter years of his career.
The 36-year-old star has two years and $115.3 million remaining on his contract, and the Warriors have been open to giving Curry the one-year, $62.6 million extension he's eligible to get. It will be a wild shock if Curry decides to play for an NBA team other than the Warriors eventually, so the smart money is still on the two parties getting an agreement done in the future.
But for now, Curry is reportedly going to “unplug from basketball-related business for a few weeks”, per Slater, as the Warriors star is set to take a well-deserved break after leading Team USA to the gold medal in Paris.
Can the Warriors make it to the playoffs in 2025?
In some ways, the 2024-25 season will be a reset for the Warriors. Franchise legend Klay Thompson is gone, and the Warriors opted to replace him with two former Philadelphia 76ers shooting guards in De'Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield. They also used the freed-up money to sign Kyle Anderson — giving the Warriors the most depth they've had since they won the title in 2022.
Moreover, the Warriors still have a few youngsters who could very well make a leap next season. Jonathan Kuminga is hard at work in the lab, with many fans tantalized by his breakout potential. Brandin Podziemski is beloved by the Warriors brass, and deservedly so, as he is an unselfish and smart player who could seize a larger role in the offense with Thompson now playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Perhaps even Moses Moody takes the next step.
The Dubs still have veterans Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, with both of them possessing bounce-back potential after their turbulent 2023-24 campaigns.
It's now easy to forget, but the Warriors did start the 2023-24 season promisingly before they struggled in the middle of the campaign due to a few issues, namely Green's on-court troubles, Wiggins' decline, and Thompson's inconsistency. But some added depth could help compensate for troubles with consistency, and the Warriors could very well be in the West's top six if their most important players avoid the injury bug.
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