Charles Barkley has declared the end of the Golden State Warriors’ run of success after a fan asked him about the future of the franchise on a Golf course.
“They are a mediocre team. They were mediocre last year, they’re going to be even more mediocre next year. They’re all past their prime, that run is over.”
“They were mediocre last year, they’re going to be even more mediocre next year … that run is over.”
Charles Barkley on the current state of the Warriors 😬 pic.twitter.com/qLhQMPUlSr
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 11, 2024
The Warriors have had to absorb a massive blow this offseason as franchise legend and sharpshooter Klay Thompson walked away from the franchise. The ending was messy between the parties, with Klay ultimately just wanting a fresh start after spending 13 years with the franchise.
The Warriors have failed to build a competitive roster for the last two seasons, with their second-leading scorer leaving the franchise as well. They’ve tried replacing Klay with Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton, but the franchise still needs someone who can stand alongside Curry and be willing to shoulder the offensive load.
Curry averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists last season, struggling to replicate the consistency we’ve seen from him in earlier seasons of his career. He will turn 36 years old in the 2024-25 season, so it’s evident that Curry doesn’t have a lot of time left as an NBA superstar.
If the Warriors don’t make some drastic moves to add top-end talent to this roster, they’ll likely be at the bottom end of the play-in tournament once again.
Stephen Curry Isn’t Guaranteed To Stay Forever
What Klay Thompson’s departure has proven is that neither Curry nor Draymond Green can relax and expect to be tenured lifetime Warriors. They both will need to continue looking out for their interests, whether it’s from a winning perspective or a financial perspective.
The Warriors would likely offer Curry supermax contracts until he retires, but will Steph be motivated to stay the face of a franchise who aren’t trying to compete for a title with him on the roster? While reflecting on Klay’s departure, Curry made it clear that his bond with the Warriors might not be for life.
“I mean, I can clearly say I want to be a Warrior for life. It’s always been my goal, and I’m saying that sitting in this chair right now, but like you said, life, and especially life in the NBA, it is a wild environment, and things change quickly.”
Curry bringing up the possibility of things going sour should worry fans, as it could be a way for the guard to put pressure on the front office. He needs more to compete in the West, as a roster expecting Buddy Hield or Jonathan Kuminga to be the second-leading scorer likely won’t be able to stack up against the top of the West right now.
The Warriors are reportedly moving aggressively to try and acquire Lauri Markkanen, a perfect move for the franchise that would return them to contender talks for next season. But Markkanen looks to be extremely in demand and could be a little too expensive for the Warriors to commit to it when they still hope to develop their young players into stars who can win with Curry.
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