Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors
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Steph Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships.
Stephen Curry is still performing like one of the best players in the league.
At 37 years old, he is averaging 28.7 points per game, shooting 47% from the field and nearly 40% from three. Those are not just solid numbers for a veteran. Those are elite numbers for anyone at any age.
And yet, the Golden State Warriors sit at 20-18, hovering around .500 for most of the season, stuck in eighth place in the Western Conference. They are competitive enough to avoid embarrassment, but not good enough to threaten anyone who matters.
That contradiction—Curry thriving while the Warriors tread water—has become impossible to ignore.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins did not ignore it. On Wednesday’s edition of “NBA Today,” he made it clear exactly who he thinks is responsible for squandering what remains of Curry’s championship window.
“Everyone has failed Steph in this organization,” Perkins said. “And I’m talking about Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler. Like, they can’t get right. This man is averaging 28 points on 47 percent shooting right now, damn near 40 percent from three, and y’all can’t get right.”
It was direct. It was harsh. And it was hard to argue with.
Chef
.@KendrickPerkins on the Warriors:
“Everyone has failed Steph in this organization. We’re talking about an all time great . . . Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, they can’t get right. We’re talking about a window where he’s trying to max out to win a championship . . .”
Why Golden State Are Running Out of Answers
The problem is not effort.
Curry continues to bend defenses every night. Draymond Green remains one of the league’s smartest and most impactful defenders when locked in. Jimmy Butler has brought veteran presence and playoff experience since arriving last season.
None of it has translated into the kind of cohesion or consistency that contenders require.
Golden State’s supporting cast is aging. Young players who were supposed to develop into reliable contributors have either stalled or been frozen out of meaningful opportunities. Despite the urgency of Curry’s timeline, the front office has not made a move bold enough to shift the trajectory.
That is what Perkins zeroed in on.
“We’re talking about a window where he’s trying to max out—meaning to go win a championship,” Perkins continued. “You didn’t trade for Jimmy Butler last year just to come in and sign him to an extension to be number eight in the Western Conference.”
He is right. Butler was brought in to help Curry chase another title, not to help the Warriors scrape into the play-in tournament. The move was supposed to elevate Golden State back into legitimate contention. Instead, they remain stuck in the middle.
The Warriors’ Youth Development Problem
Perkins did not stop at the roster construction. He went after the coaching staff too.
“And then what’s up with your player development?” Perkins asked. “Why can’t Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga thrive under Steve Kerr?”
That question cuts deep.
Jonathan Kuminga signed a two-year, $48 million deal in the offseason, but it was never about commitment to his future. It was about creating a tradable contract. His relationship with head coach Steve Kerr has completely fractured, and he has been riding the bench with DNPs for weeks now.
The latest he has played was December 18. Since then, nothing.
Kuminga becomes trade-eligible on January 15, and there is a league-wide expectation that the Warriors will move him. The tension has become too much to ignore, and Golden State has clearly decided that keeping him around serves no purpose if he is not going to see the floor.
Moses Moody has fared slightly better, remaining part of the rotation. But his minutes fluctuate wildly depending on matchups and game flow. He will play 20 minutes one night and eight the next. For a young player trying to find his footing, that kind of inconsistency makes it nearly impossible to establish rhythm or confidence.
The Warriors desperately need someone to step up alongside Curry, Green, and Butler. But the young players are not being given the runway to grow. And that is a coaching and organizational failure, not a talent failure.
What Golden State Must Decide Before the Deadline
Perkins finished his point with clarity.
“They are failing Steph Curry to the max right now,” he said.
It is hard to call that hyperbole when you look at the results.
There Is Still Time to Get This Right
Here is the uncomfortable truth that should offer some hope: there is still time.
Curry is not fading. He is not a shell of himself clinging to past glory. At 37 years old, he is averaging nearly 29 points per game and playing at an All-NBA level. Still at the peak of his powers, still bending defenses, still capable of carrying an offense on any given night.
The window has not closed. It is closing fast, but it has not shut completely.
That is why the trade deadline matters so much.
The Warriors’ Potential Trade Options
Michael Porter Jr.
GettyMichael Porter Jr. is in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Golden State’s offense has been near the bottom of the NBA this season, and it is clear they need help. The Kuminga situation gives them a pathway. Once he becomes trade-eligible on January 15, the Warriors can use him as the centerpiece of a deal that addresses their most glaring needs.
Do they swing for a scorer like Michael Porter Jr. or Trey Murphy III to take pressure off Curry and provide another legitimate offensive threat?
Or do they target size in the frontcourt with someone like Nic Claxton or Robert Williams III to help manage the minutes of Draymond Green at center and give the Warriors a more imposing presence in the paint?
Whatever the move is, it needs to happen. And it needs to be bold.
Curry deserves that much. He rescued this organization from mediocrity and turned it into a dynasty. Four championships, a complete transformation of how basketball is played, and a legacy as one of the franchise’s most iconic figures—that is what Curry gave Golden State.
Now, in the final stretch of his career, he deserves one last real chance at a fifth ring. One more opportunity to compete at the highest level. One more shot to end his career the way he has spent most of it—as a legitimate contender.
The Warriors owe him that.
Final Word for the Warriors
Steph Curry
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is a four-time NBA champion.
Kendrick Perkins was not wrong.
The Warriors have failed to maximize Steph Curry’s remaining years. The roster is flawed. The development of young talent has been mishandled. And the front office has not made a move decisive enough to change the trajectory.
But the opportunity to correct it still exists.
Curry is still elite. He is still capable of leading a championship team. And the trade deadline is approaching fast, offering Golden State one final chance to get this right.
They can flip Kuminga for the pieces they need. They can add scoring. They can add size. They can make the move that shifts them from mediocrity back into contention.
Or they can stand pat, hope for the best, and watch another season of Curry’s brilliance go to waste.
The choice is theirs. But the clock is ticking, and Curry deserves better than what he has gotten so far this season.
The Warriors built a dynasty on his back. The least they can do is give him one more real shot at adding to it.