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Andrew Bogut recently revealed that the Golden State Warriors came close to trading Stephen Curry — not Monta Ellis — back in 2012. Speaking on the House of Strauss podcast, Bogut explained how the team almost made a move that would have reshaped NBA history.
Bogut explained that during his trade from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Warriors, both Curry and Ellis were under consideration as trade pieces. He said he found out about the internal talks through his close ties with members of the Warriors’ medical and advisory staff while he was rehabbing his injury.
“It was with some people who did all the medical advisory stuff before free agency or trades—you know, whenever you bring in a guy. It was that team of people. They were open about it with me,” Bogut remarked.
Back then, Curry showed plenty of promise but battled constant ankle injuries that made his future uncertain. Meanwhile, Monta Ellis looked like the safer, more dependable choice. Looking back, though, the Warriors' decision to stick with Curry and ship Ellis out completely changed the course of the franchise — a reality Andrew Bogut highlighted with a hint of irony.
“I had a good relationship with them, so they just blatantly told me: “The other option was Steph and his bad ankle. We decided to go with Monta.” So I was like, “Alright.” the former Warriors big man continued.
The Warriors opting to stick with Stephen Curry
Before the trade, Ellis led the Warriors in scoring, averaging 21.9 points per game in 37 appearances. Curry, in his third NBA season, had shown promise in his first two years but struggled with ankle injuries, playing only 26 games during the 2011-12 season. He averaged 14.7 points and 5.3 assists per game, posting shooting splits of 49.0% from the field, 45.5% from three, and 80.9% from the free-throw line.
Bogut emphasized that the move was not some masterfully planned decision, as many portray it today. Instead, it mostly stemmed from serious concerns about Curry’s health at the time.
“But then you look at hindsight: the Warriors made this genius move and freed up for Steph Curry, and the whole narrative that followed. It could have easily gone the other way. It’s a sliding door moment. They’ll deny it, but I know it for a fact,” Bogut added.
In March 2012, the Bucks dealt Bogut and Stephen Jackson to Golden State for Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown. Milwaukee aimed to part ways with Jackson, while Bogut sought a fresh start. For Golden State, the trade became a pivotal turning point for the franchise.
Monta Ellis averaged 18.9 points, 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 41.9% shooting from the field, and 1.0 three-pointer made per game over 103 games with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks quickly regretted the trade. Ellis left in NBA free agency the following summer, signing with the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Curry earned his first All-Star selection in 2013 and followed it up with two consecutive NBA MVP awards, all while Ellis played for Dallas. And the rest was history.
