Steph Curry protecting Warriors future means title pursuits are firmly in the past

The descent of Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors into irrelevance was never going to be elegant. The franchise's golden age was never destined to conclude with the perfect ending.

If increasing age and declining health weren't going to sap the championship-winning super powers of Curry, former Splash Brother Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the franchise braintrust's commitment to balancing a post-dynasty future with late-dynasty title ambitions was always going to be a difficult dance. Even ex-general manager Bob Myers didn't want to stick around to watch the dilapidation.

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And now that it's clear owner Joe Lacob and GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. have — much to the surprise of Dub Nation and the media — the support of Curry, Green and head coach Steve Kerr to hold the line on draft assets and resist the temptation to gamble on a quick-fix blockbluster trade to save Golden State's sinking season, well, the end of an era feels like it has finally arrived in the Bay Area.

Warriors fans certainly don't want to hear this, but Lacob doesn't owe anyone anything. He bought arguably the biggest laughingstock of an NBA team outside of the Los Angeles Clippers and made good on his promise to fill the rafters with championship banners.

However, Lacob should feel fortunate that he's been blessed with the most unique NBA superstar ever, one who isn't making the biggest stink about a wretched Warriors team that sits 12th in the Western Conference at 19-20 entering Wednesday's action.

Curry is the exact opposite of the modern-day star player who demands that ownership and the front office build him a championship squad. When he has felt compelled to speak his mind, he has done so away from the cameras and microphones.

It's why Curry's public support of "keeping the franchise in a good space and a good spot" resonated so loudly throughout the league. Was the alignment with Lacob and Dunleavy just a shrewd head fake for potential trade partners to let them know Golden State isn't panicking? More likely, it was Curry accepting the fact that no trade currently exists to restock the roster for a championship run.

"If there was a situation that made sense for our team, I'm pretty sure we'd know about it," Curry said after Monday's 104-101 loss to the tanking Toronto Raptors.

The only hope now for a midseason turnaround is for the Warriors to recapture the form of their 12-3 start. For that to happen, the shooters who were brought in to replace Thompson have to start making shots.

Standing in the white-hot spotlight as underachieving offseason addition is Buddy Hield. At the end of November, he was shooting 44.2% on 3-pointers. Since then, he's made only 30.5% of his 3s and become a major liability, especially on nights when Curry can't carry the offense.

All hope on saving the 2024-2025 season isn't lost just yet. Three weeks are left until the Feb. 6 trading deadline. If Golden State stands pat, there's always the offseason when more impactful players could be available and more internal discussions can take place on the merits of cashing in future first-rounders — and likely potential star Jonathan Kuminga — for a legitimate No. 2 scorer.

Until then, the franchise that established a double timeline of contending for championships while planning for the future clearly has one track now.

What's problematic with this new conservative reality is that Golden State will never have a player like Curry again. Transcendent all-time greats aren't common. They're the reason why you resist the urge to play it safe because there's always the chance they elevate your team to the very top again.

What's so unprecedented is that Curry agrees it's best to keep those chips, maybe even fold for the rest of the season. Naturally, fans still want the Warriors to go all-in. However, the franchise legend already seems to have accepted the end of the dynasty and the beginning of mediocrity.

Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka must be so jealous. Joe Lacob should feel so fortunate.

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