DeMarcus Cousins joined the ‘Run It Back’ podcast to discuss the legacy of his former Golden State Warriors teammate, Stephen Curry. In conversation with Lou Williams, Chandler Parsons, and Michelle Beadle, Boogie explained why he believes that Curry will retire as a one-franchise player.
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“Me personally, I don’t want to see him in another jersey,” Cousins said. “It was hard enough seeing Klay [Thompson] in another jersey. To see Steph in another one, man!”
Williams, who played for six different teams during his career, recognized that Curry’s connection to the Golden State franchise ran as deep as Kobe Bryant’s did with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s not a world where they let Steph Curry go somewhere else. If anything, they will build up the Monsters around him and give him one last hurrah. Kind of like they did for Kobe. Remember Kobe asked for a trade? And boom, they bring in all the tools he need, he go get another championship,” the three-time Sixth Man of the Year added.
Cousins, who himself was brought in to support the roster around Curry in 2018, agreed with Williams’ comparison. “I don’t see Golden State letting him go. It’ll never be a Miami type situation with Steph,” he concluded.
Steph Curry is the Kobe Bryant of this era 🐐
The Warriors would rather rebuild around Steph than let him walk, just like the Lakers did with Kobe 👨🍳🏗️ pic.twitter.com/fRhNVpjKIf
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 8, 2025
The 34-year-old added that if Curry were to leave, it would only be in pursuit of another championship. He doesn’t expect the Warriors front office to ever disgruntle their franchise superstar over a few million, like Pat Riley and the Heat did with Dwyane Wade in 2016.
However, Cousins still reiterated that before Steph even considers greener pastures, the Dubs would do everything in their power to build another contending roster around him. And that’s exactly what the motto in San Francisco has been since their 2022 championship win.
The Warriors want to maximize Stephen Curry’s championship window
After the first 15 games of the season, the Warriors were 12-3. However, the wheels quickly fell off in Golden State, as they have now slipped to an 18-17 record. Finishing the year as the 9th seed and potentially losing in the play-in tournament would certainly spark more conversation about Curry’s future in SF.
But the Warriors brass are well aware of this. Mike Dunleavy Jr., the team’s general manager, has reflected on trying to balance the final years of Curry’s prime with the future of the franchise. Though, he did make it clear that the top priority for the Dubs was still to maximize Steph’s championship window.
“Our philosophy comes from understanding we have a generational player who is still at or near the peak of his powers. And given his time horizon, it’s different than if he was 25. If he was 25, there would always be a next year, but now you have to approach it like there may not be a next year,” Dunleavy Jr. said about the team’s approach.
This is the main reason why the Warriors are considered the current favorites to land Jimmy Butler, adding another aging superstar that can hopefully bring Curry the help he needs in pursuing a fifth ring.
Some franchises would be far stingier with their 36-year-old point guard, choosing to focus on the long-term future over a potential short-term gain. After all, any trade for Butler will likely sap the Warriors of their youth and draft assets, making their future after Steph precarious, to say the least.
But it makes sense that the Dubs want to do everything in their power to help Curry retire a Warrior.
