NBA Swing: Three Trade Destinations for Stephen Curry

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The Golden State Warriors have given up on superstar point guard Stephen Curry. A player who has been the centerpiece of six Finals appearances and four championships since 2015, Curry has been one of the 10 best players in the league over the last decade. Since winning their last championship in 2015, the Golden State Warriors have made very little effort to remain in championship contention as Steph enters the final years of his prime, and likely his career.

The Warriors would fail to build around Steph once again in the summer of 2026. They would fail to sign LeBron James and would be the only team to make no additions during free agency. While there are reports that the Warriors are focused on the next era of basketball beyond Curry and that the two parties are interested in extension talks once Curry is extension eligible at the end of August, a trade could see Steph have another chance at a championship while also giving the Warriors a boost to start the post-Steph Era.

Even though Curry is on the short list of players who have played their entire careers with one franchise, he is still one of the best in the league, and there are several teams that could be a great fit for the superstar guard.

San Antonio Spurs

No team has a better package for Steph Curry than the San Antonio Spurs. The 2026 Western Conference champions were a veteran closer away from being the 2026 NBA Champions. De’Aaron Fox was supposed to be that but struggled throughout the playoffs and in the Finals more than at any other point. Fox’s performance in Game 4 of the Finals would ultimately cause the Spurs to lose Game 4 and potentially extend the series beyond Game 5. A trade for Steph would come at a significant cost to the Spurs, but a cost the team can afford right now.

A Spurs trade for Steph would fall along the lines of:

San Antonio Spurs Receive:

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors Receive:

De’Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle
Two first-round draft picks

Fox and Castle would land close to Curry’s salary of $62 million. Unfortunately for the Spurs, the Warriors would want a young player with star potential back in a trade for Curry, and the 2025 Rookie of the Year has shown that star potential. The Spurs also have all their first-round draft picks through 2033. If a trade for Curry were to happen, a trade to the Spurs would arguably give the best return, while doing right by Steph and giving him another legitimate chance of winning a championship.

Charlotte Hornets

While they are not a championship contender today, the Charlotte Hornets would offer a homecoming of sorts to Steph. His father, Wardell Curry, would play in Charlotte from 1988 to 1998, with Steph spending a significant part of his childhood in Charlotte, before playing at Davidson in North Carolina during his college years. For Steph, the Hornets would go beyond basketball.

Charlotte has a bright future with their young duo of Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller but are still pieces away from deep playoff contention. If a trade to Charlotte were to happen, they would have to give up nearly everything for Steph. Yahoo Sports writer Kevin O’Connor would give a hypothetical trade for Steph between the Hornets and Warriors:

Charlotte Hornets Receive:

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors Receive:

Christian Anerson Jr.
Tidjane Salaun
Grayson Allen
Grant Williams
Tre Mann
“A whole bunch of picks”

Adding Steph could make the Hornets a playoff contender, but the team would most likely be an early playoff exit with the growth in the Eastern Conference this summer. For the Warriors, draft picks would be the most appealing part of a trade. Charlotte has all their first-round picks through 2033, in addition to first-round picks from Dallas, Minnesota and Phoenix. While it wouldn’t be the most ideal trade for either side, it would have notable personal meaning for Steph.

Denver Nuggets

The most unlikely trade scenario may actually be the most intriguing for what it could be. Like the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets have a generational player in Nikola Jokic and, despite having multiple members of their 2023 Championship roster, feel far from contention right now. Jokic is still a top-three player in the league, and Jamal Murray had a career year, but other than that, the rest of the roster disappointed last season.

Christian Braun just had a horrible year and is about to start a five-year, $125 million contract that is already one of the worst and most untradable contracts in the league. Aaron Gordon would miss over half the season due to lingering injuries,s while new addition Cameron Johnson would have a quiet season himself. Peyton Watson would be a surprise for the Nuggets this season, but his future is unknown as he is a restricted free agent with several teams reportedly interested in him. Denver is also severely lacking in terms of draft capital, having very few draft picks they can trade.

A trade proposal between the Warriors and Nuggets would look something like:

Denver Nuggets Receive:

Stephen Curry
Moses Moody
Will Richard

Golden State Warriors Receive:

Jamal Murray
Cameron Johnson
Julian Strawther
Three second-round picks

While the picks would immediately make this trade far from appealing for the Warriors, Jamal Murray’s career year landed him his first All-Star nod this past season. Despite past injuries, Murray played 75 games last season compared to Curry only playing 43. Murray is also nine years younger than Steph, and at 29 years old, would fit the younger team that will follow the Curry era in Golden State. Cameron Johnson has one year left on his current deal, and Julian Strawther also has one year left on his rookie deal.

For Denver, they would be pairing the greatest three-point shooter of all-time with arguably the greatest passing center of all-time in Nikola Jokic. Defenses would have to choose between giving Steph an open three or letting Jokic score in the post. Defenders would also have to worry about Steph moving off the ball, with Jokic being able to nail near-impossible passes. The two would have a chance to be one of the best superstar duos of all-time if they were to play together. The Nuggets would also be a top-tier championship contender in the West alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. While a trade to Denver is highly unlikely given what they can offer, the duo of Curry and Jokic would be must-see TV every night.