The Golden State Warriors are currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a mediocre 13-14 record. A quick look at advanced numbers would tell you the Dubs are a middling team with almost no shot at contending this season. Anyone who has consistently watched them play has seen Steph Curry remain a transcendent superstar surrounded by a roster bereft of talent and cohesion.
Almost everyone in Dub Nation agrees that the Warriors are wasting the waning days (hopefully years) of Curry’s prime.
Whether they point the finger at Joe Lacob’s ownership involvement, the scouting department’s draft selection, the front office’s inability to acquire better talent, or Steve Kerr and his coaching staff’s ability to develop young players or adapt, no one is happy with Curry’s supporting cast.
It has perhaps never looked more starkly obvious in recent seasons than over the past two games. Since returning from his left quad contusion, Curry has scored 87 points (43.5 per game) on incredibly efficient 30-for-54 (55.6%) shooting from the field and 18-for-34 (52.9%) shooting from three in 67 minutes of action. He has scored roughly 1.3 points per minute while committing just 2.5 turnovers a game and standing up well defensively.
Yet, it wasn’t enough. The Warriors have lost twice anyway.
It’s worth wondering if even he is contemplating something that has felt unthinkable for the past decade: a Steph Curry trade. Curry shocked the basketball world when he severed his longstanding relationship with Under Armour earlier this year. A break from Golden State would have even larger reverberations.
Barring a stroke of incompetence that would shock even Lacob’s biggest hater, there is no scenario where the Warriors move Curry without the superstar’s expressed desire for such a move. However, there are two teams that can clearly offer Curry a path to title contention and make a reasonable enough offer to the Warriors to get a deal done should he ask out: the Atlanta Hawks and, unfortunately for Dub Nation, the Houston Rockets.
The story that leads Curry to the Rockets is most straightforward.
After falling to Golden State last year in the playoffs, the Rockets added Kevin Durant in hopes of getting over the hump. However, their starting point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending injury that leaves serious questions about their title chances. While young Reed Sheppard has had a promising start to the season for a young prospect, his inconsistencies and defensive liabilities make it incredibly difficult to imagine the Rockets defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference playoffs.
While the Rockets have reportedly no interest in a mid-season trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Curry would address the exact position Houston needs to upgrade. By combining VanVleet’s salary and Sheppard in a trade package with recently-extended young big man Jabari Smith Jr. and another mid-level contract (e.g., Dorian Finney-Smith), the Rockets would have sufficient salary-matching to acquire Curry in a trade. Houston would still be able to hold onto their two best young players: Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson.
Smith’s contract faces a poison-pill provision due to his recent extension, which would likely require the two sides to find a third team. Luckily, Finney-Smith would appeal to many contenders. He would be an excellent fit in Detroit with the top-seeded Pistons, who have a trade exception that would allow them to acquire him without sending back any salary. While Finney-Smith has yet to play this season, he is reportedly nearing a return and would have plenty of value if he looks like his former self over the next few weeks. Given the Pistons place in the standings, and Finney-Smith’s long-term deal, they could very easily send some draft picks the Warriors way (in this scenario we’ll assume Detroit’s 2026 first-rounder).
The Rockets, of course, have plenty of draft picks of their own that Golden State would be after. Houston has been hesitant to include a massive package of picks in any deal, even for Durant. However, it’s hard to imagine the Rockets having an opportunity to add someone of Curry’s caliber at such a clear position of need anytime soon.
The fact that the Rockets have no first-rounders in this stacked 2026 draft would likely make it more palatable for Houston as well. The Rockets have two first-round picks in the 2027 draft, including a right to swap with the Brooklyn Nets, but the early evaluations of the 2027 class suggest it’s lacking tantalizing top prospects. Even with Smith and Sheppard’s upside, it might take a trio of first-rounders to get a deal done.
The Rockets would have some additional work to do to fill out the roster spots opened by the deal and remain below the team’s first apron hard-cap, likely dumping Clint Capela’s salary. Warriors players like Will Richard, Quinten Post, Gui Santos, and Pat Spencer could all be eyed as throw-ins. Given that the Rockets are trading a pair of forwards in this scenario, Santos seems like the clearest fit in this structure.
A deal could look something like this:
Rockets acquire: Steph Curry, Gui Santos
Warriors acquire: Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Fred Van Vleet, 2026 DET 1st, Best of 2027 HOU/BKN/PHX 1st, Best of 2029 HOU/DAL/PHX 1st, 2030 HOU 1st
Pistons acquire: Dorian Finney-Smith
The Rockets potential starting five of Steph Curry, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Tari Eason, and Alperen Şengün would immediately be arguably the best in the league when healthy. The deal would deplete Houston’s depth, but head coach Ime Udoka would have Josh Okogie, Steven Adams and Aaron Holiday on the bench before any other potential moves. It’s worth noting that the Warriors would likely waive Seth Curry in this scenario, enabling him to join his brother on a discounted salary as well.
The consequences of the blockbuster trade would also strengthen the Rockets chances in 2026-27. They would be parting with no picks in this upcoming draft and would actually be cutting the team’s 2026-27 payroll commitments by around $12 million, empowering the front office with the full mid-level exception in free agency.
The Warriors would be in no position to be thrilled after trading the most important player in franchise history. They would likely be selling Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green in the weeks that followed. Butler would seem destined for the Suns in a deal for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and some draft pick package while Green would likely be tasked with anchoring the Lakers defense after a trade for some expiring contracts, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a 2031 first-rounder.
Smith and Sheppard were both recent top-five picks who are already productive players with more upside under long-term contracts. Golden State would immediately be tanking for a shot at the top of the 2026 draft lottery, and they would spend the rest of the season evaluating how Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and the other young players on the roster fit alongside Smith and Sheppard moving forward.
There remain two potential impediments to this deal even if Curry, the Warriors, and Rockets all agreed. First, VanVleet has a no-trade clause. There has been little speculation around his potential use of it up to this point, though, suggesting he would not hold up a deal if the front office wanted to make a move. The bigger question is how Durant would feel about sharing the spotlight with Curry once again.
Durant had a chance to rejoin Curry and the Warriors in a trade at last year’s deadline and declined. However, teaming up with Curry in Houston seems far more palatable than returning to Golden State after his tumultuous tenure. Durant could quash a reunion, but the circumstances would be different enough to imagine him feeling differently.
Even if the Rockets are all-in on this blockbuster, however, they still might not be able to get it done because no one is better positioned than the Hawks.
The Hawks are 15-12 on the season, sitting at ninth in the Eastern Conference. However, they are just one game back of the three-seed in a condensed East. Those circumstances should prompt aggressive mid-season trades throughout the conference. Despite some fun highlights, the Trae Young era in Atlanta has seemingly reached its ceiling.
Young has a player option for the 2026-27 season worth just under $49 million and it’s worth wondering if he has any trade value on his current deal. Instead of landing an extension, Young has seen Hawks head coach Quin Snyder build a motion offense that runs against the way Young has played his whole career.
What better opportunity to unload a flawed face of the franchise without taking any PR hit than doing so for the perfect fit in the team’s system?
If Curry contemplates a change, he may also be understandably reticent about joining a Rockets team that has long been his top rival. The Hawks, on the other hand, would offer a clean slate. They reside in the far easier Eastern Conference, offering Curry a path to the NBA Finals that will not include the Rockets, Thunder, or Nuggets. They also would give Curry a chance to bring the franchise it’s first trip to the finals and title since the team moved to Atlanta in 1968.
Atlanta has been a favored potential destination for Antetokounmpo for similar reasons. However, Curry is a far better fit alongside budding Hawks star forward Jalen Johnson. Moreover, Giannis’ relative youth compared to Curry would seemingly make it harder for the Bucks to accept a package without Johnson (the Rockets are likely in a similar situation with Şengün and Thompson).
Dyson Daniels is already one of the best defensive guards in the league and has shown flashes of offensive potential as well. Onyeka Okongwu is already an above-average starting center on a team-friendly contract as well. Young, Daniels, Okongwu, and a pair of high-value first-round picks would seem like the type of package that could get the Warriors across the finish line.
Reports have suggested the Hawks are unwilling to trade their highly valuable best of 2026 Bucks/Pelicans first-rounder, but they would be taking a massive risk if that kept them from a superstar. If the season ended today, the selection would still have a 40% chance of falling outside the top-four. It would only have a 15.5% of chance of being the first-overall pick. Moreover, it seems likely that those odds will only get less favorable since neither the Bucks nor Pelicans control their first-round pick, meaning neither have any incentive to tank late in the season. For a team chasing it’s first title in decades, are those odds good enough to pass on a chance at Steph?
While Young, Daniels, and Okongwu combine for too much salary to be traded for Curry straight up, it actually creates an opportunity for a larger deal that would help both teams as they move to new timelines. Both the Warriors and Hawks would seemingly benefit from a swap of Draymond Green and Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher looks like a solid rotation player, but ultimately lacks the ceiling associated with a typical top pick. In a world with Curry heading to Atlanta, turning Risacher into a more advanced player in his current role would be beneficial. Meanwhile, the Dubs would get another young prospect.
The biggest impediment to this reimagined Hawks title chances would be wing depth and the center position. They would be parting with the team’s starter (Okongwu) and while they have high hopes for Kristaps Porziņģis, his struggles with chronic illness make it difficult to count on him consistently. If the Hawks added an additional future first-round pick to the package (say in 2030 or 2032), they could likely leverage the Warriors into adding Al Horford, Post, and De’Anthony Melton as sweeteners to provide some key reinforcements.
A deal could look something like this:
Hawks get: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Quinten Post, De’Anthony Melton, Al Horford
Warriors get: Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Zaccharie Risacher, Trae Young, Best of 2026 MIL/NOP 1st, worst of MIL/NOP 2027 1st, 2030 ATL 1st
The Hawks would have a starting lineup of Curry, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Johnson, Green, and Post with Porziņģis potentially replacing the young center at some point down the line. Even if not, Green could shift to center in certain matchups, with Vit Krejci entering the starting lineup. Atlanta would also potentially have a bench unit that included Porziņģis, Krejci, Mo Gueye, Melton, Luke Kennard, Horford, and Keaton Wallace. With so many of the league’s best players in the West, that Hawks team would sure seem like an immediate Eastern Conference favorite.
Despite parting with so many valuable young players and picks, Atlanta would still be well positioned long-term. The deal would slash the Hawks 2026-27 payroll commitments by just over $4 million, sending them into the offseason with their own first-round pick and around $10 million in cap space. However, Green, Horford, and Melton would all be on very tradable expiring contracts with a combined value of $37.1 million, positioning Atlanta to add more impactful pieces via trade or free agency to team up with Curry and Johnson.
Golden State could attempt to reach the play-in around Trae Young, Jimmy Butler, and youngsters, but moving Butler for young players/picks seems most likely. The Dubs would have a little bit of time to figure out if they were interested in building something around Young, but more importantly, Okongwu and Daniels would immediately give them two above-average starters at critical positions. Figuring out if they fit alongside Kuminga, Podz, and the other young players would be key as they look to the stacked 2026 draft where they could potentially have two lottery picks.
No one will be happy in the Bay Area if the Warriors get to this point. Not even Steph Curry. However, if Golden State continues to be stuck in the trudges of Western Conference mediocrity while Curry plays at an All-NBA level, the harder it will be for Steph to ignore calls from teams like the Rockets or Hawks offering his NBA legacy an opportunity for another trip to the finals.
In a scenario where Curry donning a different jersey ends up on the table, plenty of teams would be calling. The Minnesota Timberwolves may covet Steph more than any other team, but simply lack the pieces to get a deal done. The Orlando Magic might be worth keeping an eye on in the event they decided to split up Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero and built a package around Wagner and Anthony Black. Still, other moves give Orlando’s front office far less flexibility in potential talks.
The Rockets and Hawks are unique situations. Both teams have paths to title contention with current impediments that Curry would solve. For the Rockets, it’s VanVleet’s injury. For the Hawks, it’s Young’s limitations. Both teams have a bevy of young prospects and draft picks. So much so that they can make viable offers without including the All-Star caliber youngsters they want to build around long-term (Şengün, Thompson, and Johnson).
The clock is always ticking. It’s ticking on what’s left of Curry’s NBA career. He knows as well as anyone. And after losing consecutive games where he was so clearly the best player on the floor, it’s hard not to wonder if the clock has begun ticking on his patience with the organization that drafted him. There is still plenty of time for the Warriors to turn things around. There is more than a month until the trade deadline after all.
But right now the Warriors are 13-14. And if previous performance proves to be the accurate predictor of future outcomes, Dub Nation might need to be bracing itself for something worse than a mediocre season. They might need to prepare themselves to watch the Golden State Warriors trade Steph Curry.
