After an already chaotic NBA offseason, the league just keeps on giving. The biggest star in the sport just changed teams. Since LeBron James went to Philadelphia, the biggest loser in this whole saga is the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors are the only team in the league that failed to make any acquisitions this offseason. It’s a depressing development because legendary guard Stephen Curry is still one of the three biggest stars in the sport and won’t be competing for anything this year.
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The idea of Curry and the Warriors not being on the same page is new to NBA fans. If there were another team that Curry would play for, the most appropriate would be the Charlotte Hornets, who play in Curry’s hometown. Curry’s father, Dell Curry, was an original member of the Charlotte Hornets. He spent 10 years with Charlotte and had his No. 30 jersey retired by the franchise in March.
Curry has long stated that if he were ever to play for a different team, it’d likely be Charlotte. Even if Curry wanted to be back home in North Carolina, it’s not something the Hornets should entertain.
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Hornets and Stephen Curry are on different timelines
Mar 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives against Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images
Curry is still elite, a sure-fire top 20 player in the league today. The Warriors are admittedly waving the white flag, as owner Joe Lacob said they want to build the team to succeed post-Curry.
The Hornets have the assets to trade for Curry: multiple first-round picks, either Christian Anderson or Hannes Steinbach, along with Tidjane Salaün, and some sort of contract like Grant Williams or Grayson Allen.
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The issue is that Curry doesn’t put Charlotte over the top in what’s now a loaded Eastern Conference. Even if Curry landed back home, there are at least eight teams that are better than the Hornets.
The Hornets are playing the long game. Its about developing and about finding the right time to use the huge amount of draft capital they have to make a splash move.
Curry would certainly be a splash move, but the issue is that he’s 38 years old. If Curry were to end up in Charlotte, it would have to be in a LeBron James situation where he takes a massive pay cut.
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