Tag: Warriors news

Are the Warriors risking the final years of Steph Curry’s career?

Are the Golden State Warriors risking Steph Curry’s final years in the NBA by straddling two timelines?

The Golden State Warriors struck out in their pursuit of both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this summer. According to reports, Golden State’s front office had been unwilling to include either Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski in trade discussions with the Utah Jazz. As such, the Warriors will head into the new NBA season without a clear-cut second-scoring option.

Curry is reportedly remaining calm over the franchise’s current situation, and the Warriors are said to be confident that they’re well-positioned to make a big trade when the right deal becomes available. However, until that trade occurs, Curry will be shouldering a heavy workload following Klay Thompson’s departure.

In a recent episode of the “Gils Arena” podcast, Gilbert Arenas and the panel of hosts discussed whether the Warriors were running the risk of wasting Curry’s final years in the NBA. The sharpshooting superstar is entering his age-36 season and will turn 37 before the playoffs.

The front office will need to find Curry some additional veteran help if they’re truly intent on challenging for another championship in the near future.

You can watch the full episode of “Gils Arena” by clicking on the embedded video above.

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Chris Paul’s PlayersTV investment scores big with DIRECTV

Chris Paul’s media investment is already paying dividends.

Chris Paul is among 70 athletes to either be part of PlayersTV’s ownership group or hold shares within the company. The former Golden State Warriors guard, and future Hall of Famer has now seen a direct return on his initial investment, as PlayersTV has struck a groundbreaking deal with DIRECTV.

The move, the first of its kind, will see PlayersTV expand its overall reach to a vast new audience. The channel specializes in sports, entertainment and lifestyle content and also boasts Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving and CJ McCollum, among the notable names from within NBA circles.

“PlayersTV has announced a new agreement with DIRECTV, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of sports media,” The press release read. “As the only athlete fan-owned media network and content provider exclusively dedicated to sports, lifestyle, and entertainment, PlayersTV will now expand its reach to millions of new viewers. This agreement offers unparalleled access to premium athlete lifestyle content, solidifying PlayersTV as the premier destination for sports enthusiasts seeking a deeper, more personal connection with their favorite athletes.”

Paul, who signed with the San Antonio Spurs during the summer, is firmly in the final stage of his playing career.

It would appear that he’s already finding success in other avenues and could potentially embark on a new journey with PlayersTV once his time in the league draws to a close.

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Warriors ‘well-positioned’ to make a trade in the next year

The Golden State Warriors are well-positioned to make a trade within the next year.

The Golden State Warriors missed their top two trade targets this summer. First, a deal for Paul George fell through, leading him to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, Lauri Markkanen signed a contract extension to stay with the Utah Jazz despite rumors of a potential trade.

According to Marc Stein, who wrote in his SteinLine newsletter, the Warriors believe they are “well-positioned” to make a trade within the next year, assuming the right target becomes available. Golden State has multiple high-level young players and future draft picks at its disposal.

“Team officials believe they remain well-positioned for a trade upgrade at some point in the next year or so after responding to the free agent departure of Curry’s longtime backcourt mate Klay Thompson by acquiring Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton on short-term deals and retaining all of their draft picks,” Stein reported. “The distinct sense at Chase Center is that the Clippers and Jazz, despite no shortage of conversation with both teams, did not really want to do business with the Warriors.”

Unfortunately for the Warriors, they’re unlikely to find a needle-moving trade this deep into the offseason. As such, they will need to begin the new basketball year with the current roster — which does include the recently acquired Buddy Hield, De’Antony Melton and Kyle Anderson.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see who the Warriors target or who becomes available for trade. After all, the franchise has remained committed to maximizing Curry’s final years, and that will likely mean bringing in a clear-cut second scoring option sooner rather than later.

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Brandin Podziemski confident he’s improved this summer

Brandin Podziemski believes that he’s a better player than the one we all saw to end the Golden State Warriors season.

Brandin Podziemski was a bright spot in the Golden State Warriors 2023-24 NBA season. The rookie guard quickly emerged as a potential star of the future and found himself battling for a starting spot within Steve Kerr’s rotation. Golden State appears to be high on Podziemski’s overall upside, reportedly keeping him out of trade discussions throughout the summer.

During a recent radio appearance on the Willard & Dibs show for 95.7 The Game, Podziemski discussed the work he’s been putting in during the offseason. Throughout the interview, he carried confidence in his development and proceeded to let everyone know that he had improved his game ahead of the new season.

“From a skill development standpoint I feel like this offseason has been up there with the one from my junior/senior year of high school,” Podziemski said. “For me, I’m feeling really good. Took out the floaters, took out the hook shots. Kinda put in more mid-range stuff, more threes off the dribble, more threes off the catch. So just adding different things and then defensively trying to take that challenge being out there with Steph every night.”

With Klay Thompson no longer on the Warriors roster, Podziemski could potentially get some additional playing time and have a clear path to cracking the starting lineup. His multi-faceted skill set will ensure that he’s a valuable member of Kerr’s rotation, regardless of the position or role he’s asked to play.

Given Golden State’s commitment to its younger core, its chances of success partially rest on the internal development within the roster. As such, Warriors fans should be encouraged to hear one of its most talented young players has taken a step forward during the offseason.

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Rich Paul reportedly shut down Warriors landing LeBron James

Rich Paul reportedly shut down discussions between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers front office.

Millions of NBA fans have long wished that LeBron James and Steph Curry would play for the same team. Some members of the Golden State Warriors fanbase have dared dream that the two superstars could eventually team up in the Bay Area for one final push for more championship rings.

However, according to Marc Stein, any discussions between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers over a potential trade never really gained any traction, with Rich Paul playing a significant role in shutting things down. Paul was protecting LeBron from the “backlash” of moving to a fourth team in his career.

“Yet league sources say that the reported talks between the teams at the time never got that far in large part because James’ agent Rich Paul was adamantly opposed to the idea of James swapping Southern California for Northern California,” Stein wrote. “Sources say Paul implored both teams to scrap the concept — despite some owner-to-owner dialogue between the Warriors’ Joe Lacob and the Lakers’ Jeanie Buss and Green’s determination to lobby James to push for relocation to the Bay Area — largely because he wanted to insulate James from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career.”

Still, that won’t stop barber shop discussion and fan fiction dreaming up a potential superstar pairing happening in the near future, especially after how well the duo played together during the Paris Olympics.
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Steph Curry remaining calm over Warriors offseason

The Golden State Warriors star is remaining calm over the franchise’s current offseason moves.

The Golden State Warriors have undergone significant change this summer. Klay Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks, forcing the front office to begin adding new talent to help fill the void left by the future Hall of Famer. De’Antony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield have all joined the franchise since Thompson’s departure.

However, the Warriors did miss out on Lauri Markkanen, who, by all accounts, was their top trade target. The Utah Jazz eventually signed the impressive forward to a contract extension, ending the Warriors’ chances of securing a trade and forcing them to pivot or potentially head into the new season with their current roster.

According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Curry has remained calm this summer, showing no signs of “panic or unrest” with the current situation.

“Dunleavy keeps him in the loop on the options and ultimate personnel decisions,” Slater reported. “Curry hasn’t, team sources said, expressed any signs of panic or unrest. But there’s a choice of action or inaction in the coming months that’ll give a clearer hint about his long-term mindset.”

Golden State’s performance at the beginning of the season will likely dictate whether Curry remains calm regarding the franchise’s current direction or starts to pressure the front office to create some movement in the trade market.
Of course, a lot will depend on how Golden State performs between October and the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
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Steph Curry’s NBA 2K25 3-point shooting stats revealed

Steph Curry’s new NBA 2K ratings reminds everyone of who the best shooter is in the NBA.

Steph Curry is the best perimeter shooter in NBA 2K25. The Golden State Warriors superstar is a 99 overall from the perimeter, making him the only player in the game to have the coveted ranking and ensuring that his exploits on the perimeter are as realistic as possible.

Grayson Allen is second in perimeter scoring with a rating of 93, Kevin Durant is third with 92, Klay Thompson is fourth with 89,, and Mike Conley rounds out the top five with 89. Curry also has 97 ball handling, placing him as the second-best ball-handler behind Kyrie Irving. As such, you can expect Curry to be the most dangerous guard in the game. 

Of course, the ratings on 2K are always fluid. Updates to the game consistently improve or reduce a player’s effectiveness in the game, and Curry could be impacted by those changes based on his performances throughout the season.

Nevertheless, Curry’s ability as a shooter is likely set in stone. After all, he’s the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.

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Steph Curry lands in the top-15 of the GOAT debate in latest ranking

The Golden State Warriors superstar was ranked in the top-15 greatest players in NBA history.

Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. He’s a four-time NBA champion. He’s also an Olympic Gold Medalist. As such, it’s only fair to discuss him in the same breath as some of the greatest players to ever lace them up.

In HoopsHype’s latest “Top 78 of All Time” rankings, Curry is listed as the 13th-best player in the NBA’s history. He is sandwiched between Kevin Durant, who finished 12th in the voting and Oscar Roberton, who ranks 14th on the list. His presence within the top-15 of all players throughout the league’s history is a testament to his impact throughout his historically dominant career.

“Stephen Curry changed the way the game is played, as now, basically every player on the floor wants to shoot threes, and needs to be able to hit them for your offense to keep up with modern scoring,” HoopsHype’s staff reasoned. “Curry’s a wizard not only as a shooter, but his playmaking deserves more credit than it receives. The future Hall-of-Famer out of Davidson is already the greatest shooter ever – and it’s not particularly close.”

Curry still has a couple of years left at the highest level of basketball. As such, he could potentially add another championship to his resume. If that was to happen, and Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a fifth banner, his position within the ranking would likely improve.

Nevertheless, HoopsHype’s placement of Curry is both fair and logical. He is undoubtedly one of the best 15 players in league history and is probably just outside of the top 10. Still, things might look different by the time all is said and done.

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Did Klay Thompson want to be free of expectations?

Was Klay Thompson’s decision to leave the Golden State Warriors due to a desire to get a fresh start away from the Bay Area?

Klay Thompson’s decision to leave the Golden State Warriors at the start of free agency was a major talking point around the NBA. The four-time NBA champion had been expected to re-sign with the franchise and end his career as a one-team man. Nevertheless, he opted to sign with the Dallas Mavericks to form a new big three with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

According to Patrick Beverley, who was speaking during a guest appearance on a recent episode of “The OG’s Show,” Thompson’s decision was likely based on the desire to play with freedom.

“I didn’t see that coming,” Beverley said. “But again, he took less money. He just want freedom. ‘I want to be able to hoop.’ For him to have the ability as a bailout guy, as a third option.”

Beverley’s comments were likely focused on the fact that Thompson had a certain level of expectations from the Warriors fanbase. And while he’s no longer the All-Star-caliber player he once was, who could knock down shots and play lock-down defense across multiple positions, he likely felt pressure to try and be that guy.

By moving to the Mavericks, Thompson is getting a fresh start. He can re-invent himself without the pressure of trying to replicate what he did in his younger years. That is likely the type of freedom Beverley was alluding to during his podcast appearance.

Whether Thompson can thrive on his new team in a new role will remain to be seen. But if his decision was based on feeling free and enjoying basketball, his decision was likely the right one.

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Warriors set for early-Novemeber return of Klay Thomspon

The Golden State Warriors will welcome Klay Thompson back to the Bay Area on November 12.

According to Shams Charanai of The Atheltic, the Golden State Warriors will face Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks on November 12. The four-time NBA champion left the Bay Area at the start of free agency, joining up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with the reigning Western Conference champions.

Since losing Thompson, the Warriors have re-tooled their roster, bringing in Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, thus improving their overall depth and talent pool. Nevertheless, Thompson’s first game back at the Chase Center will be emotional. He’s been a core part of the franchise’s success for over a decade and is one of the most successful players in team history.

Still, the Warriors will undoubtedly be looking to spoil Thompson’s homecoming. Steve Kerr’s team will likely be looking for a strong start to the season after missing out on the 2024 NBA playoffs. Whether they get their wish when facing one of the best teams in the NBA will remain to be seen.

While it will be difficult to see Thompson in another team’s jersey and even harder to root against him throughout the game, his return will undoubtedly be a fun one and will likely have a video tribute tied into the evening at some point.

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