The Golden State Warriors will have title aspirations once again in the 2025-26 NBA season, but there are concerns about whether their aging core can lead them to the Promised Land. Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was asked if three guys over the age of 35 can contend for a title on ABC7 News Bay Area, and he remains optimistic.
“We’re going to find out,” Curry said. “I think we can. There’s a level of know-how. I think what we did last year, those last whatever it was, three quarters or a third of the season after the trade deadline, where we were top three in the league, both offense and defense. All the metrics that show we were a really good team.
“Obviously, we have to stay healthy and get through the regular season at a high level,” Curry continued. “But I like the identity that we have and the foundation of knowing how to play together towards the end of last season that we can hopefully translate to this year.
“I know we’re going to get that question asked a lot because [of] the age, and this is something that you haven’t really seen before, but that’s the beautiful challenge of this game,” Curry added.
It’s the run that the Warriors went on after acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat before the trade deadline that gives Curry belief. They were 25-26 when Butler made his debut and finished the season with a 48-34 record. The Warriors had an excellent 23-7 record when the veteran forward played, and looked like one of the better teams in the league with him.
The Warriors ranked seventh in offensive rating (118.4) and first in defensive rating (109.3) after the All-Star break, and that is a recipe for success. A team led by battle-tested veteran stars knows what it takes to win, but they are also at a greater risk of being struck by that injury bug.
Curry is 37 years old, while Butler and Draymond Green are 35. Of the three, two missed time in the 2025 playoffs due to injuries.
Curry, who averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2024-25, suffered a hamstring strain in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He would miss the rest of the series, and that led to the Warriors losing in five games.
Butler was unable to carry the load in Curry’s absence. He appeared to still be bothered by a pelvic contusion he suffered in Game 2 of the first round against the Houston Rockets. Butler took a hard fall after he went up for a rebound and would end up missing Game 3 due to the injury.
Now, one can make the argument that these were freakish injuries. Butler was just unfortunate, while Curry had never suffered a hamstring strain in his career up to that point. You wouldn’t expect a repeat in 2026, but the injury risk, in general, just grows with each passing year for this core.
Curry also admitted that the Warriors do need more pieces to help them get to the next level. They are the only team that hasn’t made a move so far this offseason, but expect that to change once the Jonathan Kuminga situation is resolved.
You shouldn’t completely dismiss the Warriors’ chances for next season, but, at the same time, you shouldn’t back them to win it all either.
