Steph Curry Sends 'Pretty Clear' Message on Warriors' Trade Decisions
Stephen Curry shares his stance on the Golden State Warriors' trade discussions ahead of the deadline. Find out what he wants.
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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a play.
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry made his stance âpretty clearâ when it comes to the front officeâs looming decision ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
According to multiple reports, the Warriors are engaged in several trade discussions that involve the Miami Heatâs disgruntled star Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bullsâ pair of former All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola VuÄeviÄ among other options.
âThatâs not for me to make those decisions,â Curry told reporters following their 130-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns that dropped their record to .500 once again. âI want to win, so whatever it means to do that.â
Curry has earlier warned the Warriorsâ front office against âdesperateâ trades that will mortgage the franchiseâs future. It was a startling message from a player of his stature in the league where stars often demand immediate help to win now without caring for their future draft picks.
Asked if he would exert more pressure on their front office with the Feb. 6 trade deadline fast approaching, Curry sheepishly replied with a meaningful answer.
âYâall will never know about that,â Curry told reporters. âWe have conversations all the time. I want to win. Again, thatâs not my job. Iâm not a coach, Iâm not a GM, Iâm not an owner.
âItâs pretty clear where I stand on trying to make whatever necessary adjustments there are to win.â
Steve Kerr Doesnât Want Warriors to Stand Pat
Before the Warriorsâ two-game winning streak was snapped by the Suns, Golden State coach Steve Kerr also made his position clear about the teamâs approach to this yearâs trade deadline.
âWeâre not in a position where we can just say, âNo, weâre good. Letâs stand pat.â Thatâs the reality of where we are,â Kerr told reporters. â[Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavyâs] doing his due diligence, doing his job. If thereâs something that makes sense, heâs going to do it.â
This trade deadline has plenty of big names but no clear-cut generational stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo who could be an all-in trade target. But their desperation is reaching a critical level as the Warriors continue to fall in the standings without a secondary star to ease the burden on the 36-year-old Curry, who scored 14 points against the Suns, the second time he was held below 15 in their last five games.
âEvery trade deadline has been a little uneasy but the further you get away from winning, thereâs more a sense of urgency,â Curry said.
Steph Curry, Steve Kerr Have Concerns About Jimmy Butler
According to The Athleticâs Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II, the Warriors have concerns about Butlerâs fit to their culture with his volatile behavior.
âThe Warriors already have a mercurial player in Draymond Green â though he usually gets along with those types (see Chris Paul and DeMarcus Cousins) â and adding Butler raises the combustion possibilities,â The Athletic report said.
Butler has always worn his welcome in all his stops from Chicago to Minnesota to Philadelphia and now Miami. It all did not end well as what is unraveling in Miami.
Yahoo Sportsâ Kevin OâConnor confirmed The Athletic report and went on to add more interesting details. He pointed to Kerr and Curry as those within the Warriors organization who are most concerned about Butlerâs potential impact on the Warriorsâ locker room.
âMy league sources say that Stephen Curry, specifically, has concerns about Jimmy Butlerâs fit in the locker room,â OâConnor said on his âThe Kevin OâConnor Showâ podcast. âAnd Steve Kerr shares those feelings. So, Golden Stateâs indecision about trading for Butler seems to be largely tied to Steph and Kerrâs worries about a personality fitâŠIt should surprise nobody if the Warriors end up holding onto their pieces and waiting for the summer.â