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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry shoots the ball. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Stephen Curry is still a problem on the court. He is also very much in a problem by the look of things.
The Golden State Warriors superstar has been the face of the franchise for almost two decades. He is the poster boy of loyalty. He reverberates vibes fans got from Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzski. Curry is beloved.
But things have been getting increasingly more stressful for the Warriors. The team has not been a serious title threat since it won it all in 2022.
Curry is 38 and, while still elite, is certainly closer to the end than the start. For many, it is hard-pressed to believe he’ll sit still on a team that isn’t close to competing for a championship.
That’s exactly why discourse about Curry’s departure from the Bay has picked up steam over the last year or two.
And with his hometown Charlotte Hornets seemingly getting more dangerous by the game, it was only a matter of time before Curry was linked to the team that once featured his father.
Stephen Curry to Hornets speculation intensifies as Warriors fumble
The Warriors have not looked great all year. Heck, it is impossible to even make out exactlywhatthey look like right now because of all the injuries they’ve had.
Once star swingmanJimmy Butler sustained a torn ACL earlier this season, many felt it was a foregone conclusion that Golden State would finish another season in mediocrity. It is surely looking that way.
At some point, it becomes hard not to wonder when Curry will draw the line. Will he go so far as to ask for a trade? Wait, is that even “going so far” after all he has done for his franchise?
These are fair questions to ask.
Recently, prominent NBA insider Kevin O’Conner dove deeper into what it would mean for Curry to leave for Charlotte this offseason.
“I think that interview is just a little hint in the back of Stephen Curry’s mind, he’s thought if this doesn’t last forever in Golden State,” O’Conner said. And the Charlotte stuff has always been out there if he were ever to leave.”
Added O’Conner: “The Hornets are on the upswing. If there’s anywhere that you could argue they can improve, it’s finding someone more consistent thanLaMelo [Ball], and perhaps Stephen Curry, despite being 14 years older, would be that guy.”
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Would Curry sacrifice loyalty to win a fifth title?
Now that’s the million dollar question.
There is no denying the Hornets are in an imminently better position than the Warriors.
Charlotte boasts young talent that is proving itself by the dribble. The team has won 28 games since the start of the new year and is proving to be a tough out for anyone in the playoffs.
Who’s to say the Hornets don’t become overnight contenders by adding Curry to a rotation that features two sharpshooters in Ball and the man often compared to Curry, rookie sensationKon Knuppel?
The Warriors star has been vocal about his desire to keep playing meaningful basketball as he gracefully ages. For a 38-year-old player still averaging well over 20 points per game on excellent three-level efficiency, it is almost hard to stomach watching him perform on a struggling team.
Curry leaving the Warriors would be a major landscape shift in the NBA. The future Hall of Famer has been the backbone of a franchise and the face of a former dynasty.
It would sting Dubs fans watching their hero play in a different uniform, but as things stand, the possibility cannot be ruled out.