NBA Rumors: Perhaps there is one scenario in which Steph Curry would indeed demand a trade away from the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry is going to go down as the best shooter of all time, one of the best point guards in league history, and the most influential basketball player since LeBron James. And as he quickly approaches the end of his illustrious career, Curry is probably looking to make one more NBA Championship run.
The question is, can that happen with the Golden State Warriors? That's difficult to answer. Ideally, the answer would be yes. But the current state of the Warriors certainly complicates things. Even though all indications are that Curry would want to retire as a Warrior, that may not be 100 percent set in stone just yet.
That's because there is some speculation that Curry could force the issue (potentially via a trade demand) if the Warriors continue to play the role of "bottom feeder" in the Western Conference. For those who are inching for a potential Curry trade demand, it would seem this is the only way it will happen.
Could a Steph Curry trade demand be close?
Looking at how the Warriors are built right now heading into the start of the season, there's no way in which they're going to factor much in how the top of the Western Conference settles. I don't think anyone, even Warriors fans, would consider this roster good enough to compete with the top of the West hierarchy. Perhaps that's why the team is willing to wait out the Lauri Markkanen situation.
If the Warriors were to land Markkanen in a blockbuster move, it would certainly add intrigue to their season. But even then, there's no guarantee that the Warriors would be considered one of the favorites to come out of the West.
But the move at least gives them a shot. And when you have Curry, that's probably all the Warriors want - a shot. What happens if the Warriors aren't able to land Markkanen, though? Well, that's probably when Curry has to make a decision on his future.
I'm not suggesting that Curry would demand a trade if the Warriors whiff in their pursuit of Markkanen, but it would make sense if the whispers grow in such a way if that were to happen. Curry is 36 years old and has maybe 1-2 more seasons of high level of play before Father Time begins catching up to him, if it already hasn't.
The last thing Curry wants at this stage of his career is to burn another season playing for a team that has no shot to make a deep playoff run in the West. Right now, that's where the Warriors stand. After the Warriors let Klay Thompson walk, nothing is off the table.
Curry wants to retire as a Warrior, but there's an argument to be made that we may have been no closer to a potential trade demand by the perennial All-Star guard than we are right now.