Will Warriors' struggles lead to unexpected Stephen Curry retirement?

Yesterday at 05:10 PM

What does the future hold for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors? This question continues to grow loud around the NBA every day of the 2024-25 season, especially since the Warriors have gone from the top of the Western Conference standings to being out of the playoff picture. The future is a giant mystery for the Dubs, which is a concern since retirement is rapidly becoming a key topic of discussion for Curry.

Steph is the face of the Warriors organization. When he was drafted by Golden State in 2009, he was nothing more than a small shooter with ankle problems joining a franchise that had made the playoffs only once in the last 15 seasons prior. Nobody knew what Curry would become, yet he is the reason why the game of basketball has changed so much at every level.

Four championships, two regular-season MVP awards, and the record for the most threes in NBA history are among the many awards and accolades that tell the tale of Curry’s first 15 seasons in the NBA. At 36 years old but still playing at a high level, Curry’s story surely doesn’t appear to be over.

Then again, we are not even at the All-Star break and the Warriors have experienced a complete change in their emotions of potential success this season. A 12-3 start to the year with the Warriors holding the best record in the West is now a 19-20 record. Golden State finds itself in 12th place after suffering a 104-101 loss on the road to the Toronto Raptors, who had won only one of their last 17 games before facing the Dubs.

If there is any time to worry about the Warriors’ immediate future, it’s right now with about three weeks until the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. Finding a way to capitalize on the remaining years of Curry’s career seems to be this organization’s main priority, but just how committed are the Warriors to going all-in to win right this second?

As the clock continues to tick and Golden State contemplates how to maximize its potential, another scenario is beginning to take shape behind the scenes. Nobody wants to admit it, but Curry is starting to see the light on the other side of the tunnel. As much as he loves the Warriors and everything he has accomplished in his career, Curry is a lot closer to retirement than many imagine.

Now comes the hard question: Could this be the final year of Steph Curry’s career?

Curry continues to hint at retirement

When Curry played in the Summer Olympics for the first time and won a gold medal alongside LeBron James and Kevin Durant, this was a moment many basketball fans around the globe embraced. Seeing these three stars take the court together for Team USA was very similar to seeing Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird next to one another as Dream Team legends.

Between winning at the Olympics and seeing Klay Thompson depart in free agency, there was a sense of closure for Curry regarding a major chapter of his career end. The 2024-25 NBA season represents Curry’s 16th season in the NBA, a number which holds significance to him.

Steph’s father, Dell Curry, played 16 total seasons in the league. The Warriors guard has always made a note of this when talking about how long he would like to play in the league, as replicating what his father accomplished is always on Steph’s mind.

There isn’t really anything more for Curry to accomplish other than competing for more championships. If the Warriors’ struggles persist and this team fails to live up to their playoff expectations, would Curry give thought to calling it quits? After all, Steph isn’t the type of person to want to make a spectacle of his retirement, and he has stated multiple times that he wants to leave on his own terms.

“There are two ways to really go out in basketball: either you're forced out or you go out on your own terms," Curry told Emily Chang earlier this season. "I hope to be in a situation where you consider how your body feels, what it takes to get ready for games, and the offseason training that goes into preparing yourself for an 82-game season. There will be a clear sign that it's time to hang it up.

“I don't want to be the one that's limping up and down the court trying to keep up with the young bucks, but I don't think I'm anywhere close to that yet.”

Although he mentioned in this interview that he doesn’t feel like he is close to retirement, Curry’s whole ideology regarding the end of the line seemed to shift ahead of Christmas when he spoke with ESPN’s Malik Andrews.

“More than I probably have before," Curry firmly stated when asked how often he thinks of retiring. "I think, you know, it’s okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near at whatever point. But only because it allows you to enjoy what’s happening right now.

“The more you talk about it, the more you acknowledge it, it levels up just the sense of urgency of the moment."

Urgency is the best word to describe Curry’s future and that of the Warriors as well. Nobody knows when the day will come when Curry decides to call it quits, but it is clear to see that this season is beginning to take a toll on the veteran.

Curry has been visibly frustrated on the sidelines over the last several weeks, and it’s becoming clear that he is emotionally drained when speaking with the media after games. In the immediate aftermath of a 129-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 5, Curry claimed that the game was “embarrassing” and that the Warriors “aren’t built” to be a team that can overcome large deficits.

Of course, these comments directly tie into what Golden State’s path entering the trade deadline looks like, especially considering that change must happen if they are to prolong Curry’s career.

The Warriors’ realistic path forward

Deciphering what direction the Warriors head as a direction is a two-part question to answer. This isn’t something Dubs fans are going to want to hear, as the “two-timeline philosophy” has turned out to be a curse.

Much like how Curry may be facing a crossroads, the Warriors are facing a crossroads in terms of figuring out what to do moving forward. Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins are all under contract through the 2025-26 season, as Green and Wiggins own player options for the 2026-27 season. It is worth noting that Curry recently signed a one-year, $62.6 million extension after the Olympics, so he is under contract for at least two more years with no opt-out.

Head coach Steve Kerr is only under contract through the 2025-26 season and recently hinted at the fact that he is nearing the end of the line. The widespread expectation around the NBA is that Kerr and Curry will retire at the same time, which is why there has been pushback to the notion that this could be Curry’s final season in the league.

There is also the fact that Curry is committed to the Warriors and wouldn’t want to leave them in a bad situation. Various league personnel who spoke with ClutchPoints see the writing on the wall for Curry but have downplayed the idea of the 2024-25 season being his last. If anything is known about Steph, it’s that he doesn’t shy away from commitment. That is why many believe he will finish his contract with the Warriors before retiring.

The second part of the question as to what direction the Warriors head in during Curry’s last few years revolves around what moves exist at the trade deadline. It has become abundantly clear that Golden State needs scoring help. More specifically, this franchise needs another star player they can lean on and play through besides Curry.

Paul George and Lauri Markkanen were two stars the Warriors attempted to trade for before the 2024-25 season, but trades with the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz fell through due to Golden State’s unwillingness to part ways with their young assets. Failing to strike a deal for Markkanen could come back to haunt the Warriors, especially with Brandin Podziemski being left out of those discussions and the second-year guard’s numbers dropping from his rookie season.

The Warriors are not focused on the past, though, and are instead solely focused on determining what moves make sense right now. As much as Golden State wants to be a title-contending threat, they are also operating with the realistic mindset of big trades being impossible.

There haven’t been any indications to signal that Andrew Wiggins is a player the Dubs would be willing to part ways with at the deadline. Jonathan Kuminga has been held out of trade discussions previously, and his recent ankle injury adds doubt to a scenario where he would be traded.

With these two players off the board and the Warriors being right at their first-apron hard cap, the only moves this franchise can make would be to round out their roster with one or two other key secondary talents.

Jimmy Butler and the Warriors share a mutual interest, yet there has been no real momentum trending in this direction, league sources said. The Warriors have not held legitimate trade talks with the Miami Heat regarding Butler in weeks. Other proven stars like Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine aren’t realistic trade options for Golden State either assuming Wiggins is being held out of discussions.

It continues to look likely that the Warriors will attempt to upgrade their roster by leveraging expiring contracts and second-round picks they still have. Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic and Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas continue to be mentioned as prime frontcourt upgrades available on the market, as is Toronto Raptors stretch big man Chris Boucher.

Dennis Schroder also becomes available to be traded on Feb. 5 or Feb. 6 by the Warriors after they acquired him from the Brooklyn Nets earlier this season. Since he is in the final year of his contract, he too could be flipped in a potential trade deadline deal for the Dubs to add a key scorer next to Curry.

The bottom line is that the most realistic path forward for the Warriors is simply keeping an eye on the future. Draymond recently commented about this by saying that “bad organizations” mortgage their entire future to win right now, and Curry seems to also be at peace with the idea of riding things out.

“There’s a responsibility of keeping the franchise in a good space (long term)," Curry said after Monday’s loss in Toronto. "If there was a situation that made sense for our team, I’m pretty sure we’d know about t. That’s how we’ve always operated."

Steve Kerr echoed these sentiments as well, so the team leaders appear to be in lockstep on this matter. But time is beginning to run out for the Warriors to make a move that can drastically change their immediate future for the better.

Leaving Golden State isn’t an option

Amid conversations about the Warriors’ struggles and Curry possibly considering retirement, it’s important to note that the Warriors are the only team Steph sees himself playing for. The Warriors are Curry’s team, and there isn’t anything to suggest that he would give thought to the idea of playing for another team to finish his career, even despite speculation about him playing for his hometown Charlotte Hornets.

No matter if they are competing for titles or focusing on their long-term future, it truly does appear as if Curry is with Golden State until he is ready to call it quits.

Before competing in the Olympics and even after seeing Klay leave for the Dallas Mavericks in free agency, Curry spoke about how only playing for the Warriors is a goal of his to finish his career.

“I mean, I can clearly say I want to be a Warrior for life," Curry told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports at Team USA training camp in Las Vegas. "It’s always been my goal, and I’m saying that sitting in this chair right now, but like you said, life, and especially life in the NBA, it is a wild environment, and things change quickly."

In regards to his role with internal decisions and having a voice in what moves the organization potentially makes, Curry pointed out that he is not the one making decisions. However, Steph made it clear that a”collaborative approach” oftentimes works best for him and Golden State.

Without Curry, the Warriors would not have been the dynasty that they were, winning four championships in eight years. This achievement puts Curry in the same category as legends like Jordan, Magic, Tim Duncan, and Bill Russell who led their organizations to four titles in eight seasons.

At the same time, Curry is not the player he turned out to be without Golden State. This relationship can only be explained by citing destiny, as Steph was meant to join the league and change the course of basketball history with the Warriors.

So, what does this all mean in the grand scheme of things regarding Curry possibly retiring?

Physical and mental fatigue is beginning to catch up to one of the greatest basketball players of all time. While he may still be able to perform at an MVP level from time to time for the Warriors, Curry is closer to retirement than many think.

The post Will Warriors’ struggles lead to unexpected Stephen Curry retirement? appeared first on ClutchPoints.