Steve Kerr recently assured Dub Nation that Steph Curry would “no way” ever leave the Warriors, but that won’t stop the what-if-ers from speculating about the unlikely possibility.
Yahoo Sports NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor acknowledged that the reality of Curry parting ways with the only NBA organization he knows is a long shot, but he hopes the 3-point god won’t completely rule it out.
“Steph could be traded ahead of the deadline because of the nature of his contract. So he could be. He does not have a trade restriction,” O’Connor said on “The Kevin O’Connor Show.” “Highly unlikely. I would be shocked if it happens this year. I would be shocked if it really ever happens. But it’s something he should think about. It’s something he should think about because he still has something to offer. It could benefit the Warriors long-term — and it does not negatively impact your legacy.
“Being a lifer is beautiful. Kobe [Bryant], 60 points in his last game. Dirk [Nowitzki] finishing his career passing the baton to Luka [Dončić]. There’s something amazing about that, but I think it’s overrated. I grew up a hardcore [New England] Patriots and [Boston] Celtics fan, and I don’t think of [Tom] Brady any less for leaving the Patriots. I think more of him for doing it.”
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 18, 2025
Of course, Brady’s future Pro Football Hall of Fame career began with New England in 2000. Six Super Bowl championships and 20 seasons later, Brady left the Patriots and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the final three seasons of his 23-year career.
Regardless of Brady’s emotional exit from a franchise he loved, Patriots fans understood and continued to support the 15-time Pro Bowl quarterback. The mutual respect took another step this past offseason, as New England announced during Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction that it was retiring his iconic No. 12 jersey number, and a 12-foot statue of Brady will sit outside Gillette Stadium likely in the 2025 season.
No matter what Curry chooses to do with the rest of his career, that will be the case for the Warriors and their superstar who changed the game with his elite 3-point shooting. Statues. Street names. Rafters. All of it.
That’s partly why O’Connor doesn’t see any harm in Curry’s hypothetical departure from the Bay.
O’Connor also compared Curry to other franchise icons such as Bryant and Nowitzki.
The Lakers averaged 30 wins during Bryant’s final five seasons with the team. The Mavericks averaged 35 during Nowitzki’s.
Golden State hasn’t been a title contender in three consecutive seasons, and the team currently sits in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 20-20 record and a long list of growing issues. But not by a lack of effort on Curry’s end. In Year 16, the soon-to-be 37-year-old is averaging 22.9 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field and 41.6 percent from 3-point range, with 5.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 31.7 minutes.
When Brady left New England, he led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl win in just his second season with the team. Could Curry have that same impact with another NBA roster?
“Steph is way better at 36 than both Kobe and Dirk were,” O’Connor said. “Way better. So I think Steph’s more in that Tom Brady camp where I at least hope it’s a strong consideration, and it would benefit the Warriors, too. It really would.”
Again, the likelihood of Curry ever leaving the Warriors seems like nothing but a fantasy. But once upon a time, that’s what the NFL world said about Brady and the Patriots.
