Warriors’ strategic planning could pair Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic with Steph Curry in blockbuster deal

The Golden State Warriors’ move to acquire Jimmy Butler at the NBA trade deadline seemingly locked the team into their new big three for the next two seasons ahead.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Warriors’ front office is maintaining flexibility for the summer of 2027. With Draymond Green, Butler and Steph Curry set to hit free agency at the end of the 2026-27 season, the stage is set for the team to make a run at a blockbuster star to pair with Curry. Amick wrote on Tuesday:

“They want to maintain maximum flexibility for that 2027 summer (as it stands, they only have Moody’s $13.4 million and Hield’s $10 million player option on the books by then).

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"The Warriors, who are well aware that Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver’s Nikola Jokic both have player options for the 2027-28 season, are hardly alone on this star-hunting front. High-profile teams like the Lakers and Clippers have sent similar signals in recent months.”

By the time the 2027-28 season starts, Curry will be 39. There's no telling whether the future Hall of Famer will sign an extension beyond the end of the 2026-27 season.

Steph Curry isn't ready to talk retirement yet after injury derailed Warriors' championship hopes last year

In 2023, Steph Curry indicated he had spoken with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers about what it takes to thrive as an athlete while battling father time. Now, several years later, Curry isn't ready to think about retirement.

While speaking with NBC News on Wednesday, the Warriors star, who impressed in the playoffs last season before going down with a hamstring injury, admitted that although he's closing in on the end of his career, he isn't ready to think about it yet.

“The regular season grind is real the deeper you get into the career," Curry said. "I’m OK acknowledging that the end is closer than the beginning, just because it grounds me, and enjoying every moment that I have out there. But I'm not fast forwarding to this has to go this way, this way, this way, for me to play a certain amount of years.

“I'm acknowledging it more, but that's the only way I'm really thinking about it.”

With the start of the 2025-26 NBA season rapidly approaching, Curry is optimistic that he can add one more Larry O'Brien trophy to his resume before eventually riding off into the sunset.

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About the author

Evan Bell

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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