Back in 2019, the Warriors watched their dynasty come to an end. Kevin Durant walked in free agency, Klay Thompson tore his ACL in the Finals, and Golden State was suddenly staring at a rebuild around whatever core pieces remained. While they won a title in 2022, a similar fate is being floated, per reports, for Stephen Curry.

Former Boston Celtics player Joe Johnson gave his take on Curry’s future.

“You going to probably have to get Steph out of there,” Iso Joe said on the Night Cap podcast. (Start from 14:05) “Okay, I’m going to just keep it real. For the Warriors to compete in the Western Conference with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody being sidelined pretty much the whole season, come on, man. That man going to need some help, bro.”

“I’m talking about help scoring that damn ball, too,” he added. “You got to be able to get a bucket in this league. The Warriors ain’t really make no adjustments. I mean, they drafted. So I don’t know what they’re banking on. Maybe they’ll just, you know, do Steph a favor, bro. Maybe send him somewhere to where he’s still able to compete and play high-level basketball.”

Butler is working back from a torn ACL, and Moody is dealing with his own extended absence. Golden State’s offseason has been defined more by misses than upgrades. The pursuit of LeBron James fell through, and as of late July, the Warriors were on track to run back essentially the same roster that finished last season, aside from re-signing Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II.

It’s a group that finished the year needing a play-in run just to make the postseason, and Stephen Curry, at 38, is being asked to carry it again with even less proven scoring around him.

Curry has been linked to the Boston Celtics. Brad Stevens has reportedly checked in with Golden State on his availability following the Jaylen Brown trade to Philadelphia. Trade ideas propose the Celtics send out Paul George, Sam Hauser and two first-round picks to pair Curry with Jayson Tatum.

“I’ve always said I want to be a Warrior for life,” Curry told Andscape in 2024, and nothing since has suggested that’s changed. He becomes extension-eligible on Aug. 29 for a two-year deal worth up to $136.7 million, and by multiple reports, Golden State intends to put that full offer on the table the moment he’s eligible, leaving the decision entirely in his hands.

That loyalty goes both ways, according to reports. NBA insider Anthony Irwin suggested that owner Joe Lacob is leaning on Curry’s commitment to justify the team’s conservative offseason approach. Tim Kawakami stated that Curry wants to be a “forever Warrior,” but that the organization has to keep earning that loyalty rather than assuming it’s unconditional.