The Golden State Warriors have remained a headline topic throughout the NBA offseason, not for roster additions, but for perceived poor management and a lack of interest in building around an active Stephen Curry—who could earn 17 times more than LeBron James. That situation was highlighted during trade discussions with the Boston Celtics regarding Jaylen Brown before the Philadelphia 76ers deal.
ESPN’s Shams Charania on The Stephen A. Smith Show on Monday, Charania revealed details about trade talks involving Brown between Golden State and the Celtics before the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, noting how the pursuit of James might have differed had Golden State pulled off a deal for Brown earlier in the season.
“The Warriors could’ve got in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes if they wanted to give up four first-round picks-ish, in that range,” Charania told Smith. “They decided not to from my understanding. Those two teams, the Warriors and Celtics, did talk about a Jaylen Brown trade around the trade deadline, and it was around several first-round draft picks, potential swaps, and seconds. The Warriors decided not to go down that route, and so that’s on them. That’s the decision they made.”
Warriors facing criticism over roster strategy
The narrative surrounding the Warriors is turning villainous as the organization shows a lack of genuine interest in upgrading the roster to maximize Curry, a legend and the greatest player in franchise history. Curry even did his part to help close a potential deal for James, but the front office failed to provide adequate help.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors
According to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, Curry was actively involved in trying to recruit James to Golden State, but kept his expectations in check throughout the process in case things did not work out.
Thompson suggested Curry could be growing weary of the organization’s pattern of chasing external stars rather than building around what the team already has. “I think he’s probably a little tired of the star chasing,” Thompson said. That sentiment reframes Golden State’s aggressive pursuit of James not as a simple swing-and-miss, but as part of a broader front office strategy that may not fully align with what Curry himself wants out of these final NBA seasons of his career.
Curry did not get his shot at pairing with James, and he may also be reconsidering whether chasing that kind of star pairing is even the direction he wants Golden State to pursue. However, that does not mean Curry will distance himself from the franchise given his deep loyalty, which could instead point toward a potential upcoming extension for Draymond Green.
