Steph Curry isn’t getting any younger, and the Warriors front office is well aware.
General manager Mike Dunleavy made a huge swing at Giannis Antetokounmpo last week. The trade offer didn’t pan out, but that allowed the Warriors to move on to a different big man: Kristaps Porziņģis.
Curry spoke to ESPN’s Anthony Slater after the NBA trade deadline, touching on Golden State’s run at Antetokounmpo.
“I wasn’t on the phone with [Dunleavy] and them making calls,” Curry told Slater in an article published Friday. “I knew there was an offer that was made, as you’d expect. At the end of the day, nobody got [Antetokounmpo]. So that’s the situation right now.”
Curry has made it clear that all he wants is a shot at a fifth ring. That feat will be harder to accomplish with an injured Jimmy Butler, but Porziņģis is a force when healthy.
“For us, our challenge is to try to stay at a level where we can be a threat in a playoff series and finish the regular season off strong,” Curry stated.
Last season, the Warriors had plenty of momentum in the playoffs before Curry’s left hamstring strain cut the promising run short. Jonathan Kuminga had a great series against the Timberwolves, but ultimately the Warriors came up short in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Porziņģis is the stretch big that Warriors coach Steve Kerr has wanted on the roster for years. His contract expires at the end of this season, so even if things don’t pan out, neither side is locked in for the future.
Antetokounmpo realistically would’ve brought hopes of a championship run. But the Bucks’ asking price was extremely steep; Draymond Green, who’s been a Warrior for 13 plus years, was a piece that could have been moved.
Instead, Golden State held onto its future draft picks and hopes to make a run with Porziņģis.
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