Steve Kerr: The only Warriors player not mentioned in NBA trade talks is Steph Curry
In trade negotiations, the majority of the Golden State Warriors players are negotiable. The clear exception is Stephen Curry.
During his appearance on the Willard & Dibs show on Wednesday, head coach Steve Kerr mentioned that the Warriors would not even consider trading for Curry during this offseason.
“Trade talks often revolve around a select few players in the league. There is no discussion of Steph Curry in trade negotiations. “Everyone else is,” he remarked at the 49:00 mark. “And the Los Angeles Lakers probably aren’t talking to anyone about LeBron James if you went down the list of NBA teams. Maybe one or two guys are off the table for each person. Because everyone is looking to improve their team, trade talks will likely touch on the great majority of NBA players.”
The clear implication here is that Golden State may be open to trading players like Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga if the proper offer is made to them. That doesn’t mean the Warriors are actively courting any of them, but it does mean they’re making every effort to make the most of Curry’s final years with the team while he’s still performing at a phenomenal level.
How long that remaining window lasts is a mystery. Curry, who is 36 years old, had yet another fantastic season in 2023–2024. He averaged 26.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc while making 357 three-pointers, which was an NBA record.
His supporting cast let him down, however.
Klay Thompson will be forever beloved in the Bay Area, but he’s no longer the elite 3-and-D wing of his prime, to the point that the Warriors asked him to come off the bench at points last season. A change of scenery felt inevitable, and he joined the Dallas Mavericks in free agency this offseason.
Green only played 55 games last season, in large part to a number of suspensions for violent conduct on the court. He remains the team’s defensive fulcrum and a solid playmaker offensively, but his volatility hurt the Warriors.
During the 2021–22 season, Wiggins, 29, averaged a career-worst 13.2 points per game and didn’t seem to resemble the All-Star who supported the Dubs to victory.
Then there is Kuminga, who has been making progress and is arguably the team’s best trade chip (apart from future draft picks), but he isn’t quite ready to be a contender’s second option just yet.
Lauri Markkanen would be a definite offensive upgrade over the players on the above list, and the Warriors have been linked to a possible trade for him this offseason. If he were more affordable, he would be a great running partner for Curry.
No one other than Kuminga, Wiggins, and possibly even Green will be mentioned as the Warriors look for such possible upgrades. Well, that’s NBA life.
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