Stephen Curry did not hold back when asked about the Golden State Warriors’ current reality following a quiet — and ultimately disappointing — NBA trade deadline.
In a postgame conversation with ESPN’s Anthony Slater after Thursday night’s comeback win in Phoenix, Curry delivered a blunt, no-sugarcoating assessment of where the team stands:
“No,” Curry said when asked if he was content with the state of the Warriors after failing to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I’d rather have Jimmy Butler playing basketball. But it’s our hurdle to overcome as a team. Three weeks ago, we were heading in a certain direction. The record scratched and stopped, and now you’re trying to figure out how to get it going again.”
The frustration is unmistakable. Butler’s season-ending ACL tear on January 19 against Miami had already derailed Golden State’s momentum — a stretch in which they had won 12 of 16 games and looked like legitimate contenders again. Since Butler went down, the Warriors are 3-5, a slide that has left them at 28-24 (8th in the West) and fighting just to stay in the play-in picture.
The Giannis Pursuit That Fell Short
Curry addressed the front office’s aggressive — and very public — chase for Antetokounmpo:
“I wasn’t on the phone with [GM] Mike [Dunleavy] and them making calls. I knew there was an offer that was made, as you’d expect. At the end of the day, nobody got him. So that’s the situation right now. For us, our challenge is to try to stay at a level we can be a threat in a playoff series and finish the regular season off strong.”
The Warriors had put together one of the league’s most enticing packages — Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and multiple first-round picks — but Milwaukee ultimately decided to hold onto their two-time MVP through the season. The door closed, and Golden State had to pivot.
The Porziņģis Pivot & Frontcourt Reality
Instead of a superstar splash, the Warriors acquired Kristaps Porziņģis from Atlanta (sending Kuminga and Buddy Hield the other way) and traded Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for a 2026 Lakers second-rounder.
Curry was asked about Porziņģis — who reunites with Al Horford (his former Boston championship teammate from 2024):
“I’m learning some Latvian,” Curry joked. “I’m just hoping that he’s healthy, first and foremost, so that he can do what he can do on the floor. Him and Al won a championship together. Different context, but there’s a familiarity and skill set and size and presence that we’ve been looking for a while.”
Porziņģis (expiring $30.7M deal) offers rim protection, floor spacing, and pick-and-pop upside — but he’s played only 17 games this season due to illness and Achilles tendinitis. The Warriors are betting on health and chemistry to make the pairing work.
The Emotional Weight of the Moment
The post-win locker-room celebration after beating Phoenix without Curry felt outsized — coach Steve Kerr said it “felt like we won a championship.” That reaction spoke to the emotional toll of recent weeks: Butler’s injury, the failed Giannis chase, public trade rumors involving Draymond Green, and the quiet realization that the team’s ceiling has lowered.
Curry was asked if he was content with the current state:
“No,” he repeated firmly. “I’d rather have Jimmy Butler playing basketball. But it’s our hurdle to overcome as a team.”
Where the Warriors Go From Here
- Record: 28-24 (8th in West)
- Next game: Saturday vs. Lakers (ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET) — Curry’s status remains day-to-day with right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (“runner’s knee”).
- Core intact: Curry, Green (stayed), Porziņģis, Horford, and role players.
- Outlook: Play-in fight mode. No more big swings this season — just grinding, health management, and hoping for Porziņģis to return soon and contribute.
The Warriors still have Curry’s greatness, but the window is narrowing fast. Losing Butler for the year and missing on Giannis has forced a recalibration. Now it’s about survival, chemistry, and squeezing every drop out of the remaining games.
Warriors fans — how are you processing this? Frustrated by the missed Giannis opportunity? Optimistic about Porziņģis + Horford? Worried about Curry’s knee? Let me know your thoughts — the next few weeks will define whether this season ends in the play-in or deeper.