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Stephen Curry is seeking at least one more memorable championship run before retiring.
The Golden State Warriors’ current roster clearly isn’t capable of pulling that off, which should prompt Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the franchise’s front office to make the moves necessary to set themselves up for championship contention in 2026-27.
Selecting Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was a wise addition, but Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp has two additional moves in mind for the Warriors that would be far more impactful. Rapp suggested that Golden State could pair Curry with a $287 million ex-Los Angeles Lakers superstar duo.
“This one would have perhaps made more sense before the draft, when the Warriors could have flipped Jimmy Butler and the No. 11 pick to the Washington Wizards for Davis,” Rapp wrote Tuesday. “Instead, the Wizards would be asking for future draft capital in the deal.
Given Butler's uncertain timeline from the torn ACL he suffered in January, he's essentially salary-matching in this trade, with the draft capital being the more intriguing return for the Wizards. They may not mind—even with Trae Young signing a massive contract to stay in Washington, the Wizards may be better off letting their young guys gain experience and while staying in the lottery positions”
“The Warriors, meanwhile, could pair Davis with Stephen Curry, a very logical one-two combination. Add in Draymond Green—and perhaps LeBron James in free agency—and the Warriors would have quite the interesting collection of veteran stars.”
Davis and James were teammates in Los Angeles for 5.5 years, winning a championship together in 2020 and helping the Lakers get back on track after a rough stretch of basketball following the Kobe Bryant era.
Things quickly changed at the midway point of the 2024-25 season, as the Lakers traded Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic after his persistent injury issues. Davis’ health hasn’t improved drastically since the jaw-dropping deal, as he was often featured on the Mavericks’ injury report before the organization shipped him to the Wizards this past February.
James, on the other hand, is an unrestricted free agent who has yet to decide where or if he wants to play NBA basketball in 2026-27. The four-time NBA champion walked into unfamiliar territory last year, as he was a tertiary playmaker for the first time in his career.
James handled the demotion relatively well, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game, shooting 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from three-point land.
Although Davis and James are no longer at the peak of their respective careers, the Dubs could consider bringing them to the Bay in a last-ditch effort to end Curry’s career with a significant splash.
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