The 2024-25 season is nearly over, and the Golden State Warriors are feeling good about where they stand going into a critical summer. For 4x champion Stephen Curry, the opportunity to play with Jimmy Butler this season was nothing short of enjoyable, and he says that the pairing was a perfect fit from the start.
“There was a lot of chatter about whether it was the right trade,” said Curry, via Anthony Slater. “From the first game in Chicago to last night, it was a seamless fit. (We) complement each other so well. He gave us so much belief…It was a success. Now you have to build off that.”
The Warriors began the season with championship ambitions, but things took a turn for the worse in December, when the Warriors endured a stretch so bad that they dropped several spots in the standings.
By early February, Golden State was hovering around .500 in the West, and they were on track to finish outside the Western Conference playoff picture. It wasn’t until the arrival of Jimmy Butler at the deadline that the Warriors began to win again. They went 23-7 down the stretch of the season to secure the 7th seed and a spot in the play-in tournament.
After losing in the second round, however, Steph knows that the team is not complete, and he expects to see some serious changes this summer.
“I don’t know,” said Curry on the Warriors’ greatest needs. “I know it’s the best question you can ask right after the season. It’s also tricky because I love every guy in that locker room.”
As a 4x champion, 2x MVP, and 11x All-Star, Stephen Curry knows what it takes to win, and he believes that his team will be in play for the title next year. With only half a season of the Steph/Butler duo, the Warriors could elect to run it back for the 2025-26 campaign, but most experts agree that the roster will look vastly different come October.
As it stands, young swingman Jonathan Kuminga is questionable to return after a subpar showing throughout the playoffs. Kuminga has shown flashes of greatness before, but he has yet to have the breakout moment that will define his career.
There’s also young shooting guard Brandin Podziemski. He showed up for Golden State this year, but he’s not a part of the beloved championship core, and it makes him the perfect candidate to be traded.
If Golden State is willing to test the market on those players, they might have enough to strike a deal for a player of their own choosing. With several areas of need, the Warriors will have plenty of room for improvement this summer, and the first place they’re expected to look is in the frontcourt.
Now that the Warriors have their core established, all they need to do is tweak the supporting cast, and they’ll have the entire offseason to build their ideal roster for the 2025-26 campaign. Regardless of how it plays out, the Warriors owe it to Steph to do everything they can to build a contender and give him a roster worthy of his all-time legendary status.
