NBA Trade Rumors: Will Golden State Warriors trade Stephen Curry in rebuilding efforts? 

It has been a difficult season for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who have somewhat struggled to start the 2020-21 NBA campaign. As NBA trade rumors go, Sports Illustrated’s Michael Pina has suggested that the Warriors could be open to the possibility of trading Curry depending on how they view the future of the team.

This proposal may seem like blasphemy to loyal Warriors fans who view Curry as the team’s savior and the face of the franchise. However, with the team hardly a championship contender and with a luxury tax bill at the $137.1-million range, the Warriors could realistically trade the 6-time All-Star to avoid financial suicide.

Portland Trail Blazers v Golden State Warriors

More importantly, Stephen Curry could seek a trade or leave as an unrestricted free agent should certain conditions not be met by the team in the next offseason.

Pina wrote:

“To look at it from Curry’s perspective, if no max extension is offered next offseason either, the thought of gauging greener pasture as an unrestricted free agent won’t be lunacy. The man has a lot of great basketball left. It’s conceivable Golden State squanders it.

He added:

“A lot can change over the next two seasons, but losing Curry for nothing would severely damage an organization that prematurely christened itself ‘light years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things,’ which is what Lacob claimed in infamy four years ago.”

This NBA trade rumor could blow up quickly should Stephen Curry and the Warriors fail to meet each other’s demands.

NBA Trade Rumors: What could the Golden State Warriors get for Stephen Curry?

With both sides looking to make the most of their opportunities in the next few years, the Golden State Warriors organization and Stephen Curry may decide to mutually part ways sooner rather than later, with next summer looming as one of the important offseasons in franchise history.

Portland Trail Blazers v Golden State Warriors

According to Pina, the package that the Milwaukee Bucks sent to the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire Jrue Holiday could be the starting point for a potential Stephen Curry trade. However, the price would be higher considering the two-time MVP’s market value. The Bucks-Pelicans deal might have made it seem unlikely that another team would bite on the Warriors’ trade demands.

Pina wrote:

“And even though every superstar trade takes place in its own silo, Milwaukee’s willingness to surrender three first-round picks and two pick swaps for Jrue Holiday makes a hypothetical package for Curry seem impossible. We’re talking about an ocean of assets: Young star(s), multiple draft picks, and, since the Warriors might want to avoid bottoming out entirely, quality win-now production.”

There's no question that the Warriors will rebuild should Stephen Curry be traded. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green would also be gone, as they use rookie center James Wiseman as the building block. The Curry package alone would yield a ton of assets. The question is, are the Warriors willing to roll the dice?

NBA Trade Rumors: No extension for Stephen Curry prior to start of 2020-21 season

Stephen Curry was eligible to sign a three-year extension worth an additional $156 million before the season started. Despite Curry openly expressing his desire to be a Warrior for life, no deal was consummated with team management.

Stephen Curry hoping to retire with Warriors, eligible for a 3-year, $156M contract extension: https://t.co/ltS1p7KoIU

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) December 8, 2020

At 32 years old with an injury history, Stephen Curry is closer to the downside of his career rather than his prime. The Warriors may have been secretly thinking of observing how Curry recovers from last year’s injury to see what they plan to do with their franchise player in particular and their team in general.

Once the 2020-21 season wraps up and the Warriors have time to evaluate Stephen Curry’s market value and how much the team owes in the next few years, expect another round of negotiations on the table between player and organization.

Stephen Curry and the Warriors opted to put off extension talks until at least the 2021 offseason: https://t.co/xeFYwaraiC

— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 22, 2020

The next offseason could very well determine whether Stephen Curry becomes a Warrior for life or gets traded to a title contender.

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