DIMES: Steph Curry wants to spend his entire career with the Warriors, but his tone has changed

Warriors beat writer Danny Emerman shares his thoughts on the NBA offseason and beyond

Shortly after Team USA first convened in Las Vegas for its quest for Olympic gold, Steph Curry said that he “clearly” wants to only play for the Warriors, but “things change quickly” in the wild environment of the NBA.

It was a somewhat non-committal commitment, and the quote vibrated softly through the fan base. Curry was reiterating that he’s dedicated to the Warriors, but wasn’t he also cracking the exit door ever-so-slightly ajar?

Pushed a bit further this week by ESPN/Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Curry revealed even more about how he sees the rest of his career playing out.

“I’ve always said I want to be a Warrior for life,” Curry told Andscape. “At this stage in my career, I feel like that’s possible.”

“I’m taking it one step at a time to be honest. I think that’s the only way that will protect my happiness. Also, it allows me to enjoy being myself when I’m out there playing. And I’ll continue to make the decisions that are best for me and for my career at the end of the day when it comes to just the imagination. I want to win. Let’s put it this way, it’s a long-winded way of saying that if it is a situation where you’re a bottom feeder and it’s just because you want to stay there, I’d have a hard time with that. But I don’t think that’s going to be the reality.”

For someone who has always said he wants to retire a Warrior, whose association with the franchise has been legitimately special, Curry’s new stance is no longer unique. His bond with the Warriors is conditional — as it should be. If the team bottoms out, it can’t expect the most loyal, unselfish superstar in the modern NBA to stick with it. The Warriors are more obligated to Curry than he to it.

The organization certainly wasn’t blindsided by Curry’s quotes. They’re in meetings with him, as he’s privy to the team’s decisions and shaping its direction. If he was comfortable sharing his feelings in public, he indubitably has shared at least as much behind closed doors. Curry hasn’t historically made public power plays to pressure his front office, unlike some of his peers.

That doesn’t mean the comments shouldn’t put Mike Dunleavy Jr. & Co. on notice. Before this summer, Curry had nothing but full-throated dedication to being a Warrior For Life. There’s already pressure on the front office to improve the roster, now the consequences of failing to do so have been planted.

Dirk Nowitzki’s last three seasons with the Mavericks ended without postseason berths. So did Kobe Bryant’s last three seasons with the Lakers.

Curry doesn’t want to go the way of Bryant and Nowitzki — spending their final seasons playing on irrelevant teams for the sake of staying with the only franchise they’ve known. The Warriors can’t let that be an option.

Mythbusting the company line on Draymond

The messaging from the Warriors around what went wrong last season, and how the team projects in 2024-25, primarily revolves around one man: Draymond Green.

Had Green not missed so much time, the thinking goes, the Warriors would’ve won 50 or so games, instead of 46. He’ll be much more available next season, meaning the Warriors should improve vastly with more consistent continuity and Green’s sheer presence.

As an explanation for last season’s lottery finish and a predictor of next year, does the theory hold water?

Green missed 31 games last season due to injury or suspension, including the four games from which he was ejected. Without Green, the Warriors went 14-17 (.451).

In the 51 games Green played, the Warriors went 32-19 (.627). With Green, the Warriors played at a 51-win pace, which is how many games the Clippers needed to win for the fourth seed.

The massive difference shows just how valuable Green is to the Warriors, and just how effective of a player he still is. The Warriors’ net rating was 4.6 points better with him on the court than off, behind only Brandin Podziemski (+8.7) in Golden State’s main rotation.

Green remains completely integral to how the Warriors operate. Last year, they were borderline elite with him. They were a bad team without him.

With that established, the issue then becomes whether Green can stay on the court — if he can stay healthy and out of the league office’s detention.

That’s a more compelling conversation than “Green plays; Warriors good.”

Green was healthy in 2022-23, logging 73 games. In the two full seasons prior, he played in just 46 and 63 games. He’s 34 years old with a history of back issues. He plays one of the most physically grueling styles, more often than ever at the even more demanding center position.

Even if whatever well-intentioned rehabilitation Green has undergone keeps him out of the principal’s office, expecting him to play over 70 games is asking a lot at this point in his career.

It’s abundantly obvious the Warriors are better when Green is available. The concern is how they get better than .500 when he, inevitably, for one reason or another, misses time.

Countdown to Aug. 6

It doesn’t make sense for the Utah Jazz to hold on to Lauri Markkanen and not add anyone else to their roster. With Markkanen, they’re too good to tank (they’ve shut him down midseason for winning too many games). Re-signing him puts them exactly where Danny Ainge doesn’t want: in mid-lottery purgatory in a potentially generational draft.

For that reason, the Jazz are incentivized to trade a player they and any other team should be glad to build around. They’d most likely need to do so before Aug. 6, when the Finnish forward becomes extension-eligible.

If the Jazz decide to trade Markkanen, the Warriors have the assets and aggressive mentality to put forth a compelling offer. Aug. 6 has been circled on the calendars at 1 Warriors Way.

Things to look forward to between now and then: the full Olympics basketball group stage, the MLB trade deadline and the “House of the Dragon” season 2 finale.

Connections answers

Last Sunday, we created a Warriors-themed quiz inspired by the New York Times’ Connections game. Here are the answers: