{"id":2062688,"date":"2026-07-26T12:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T09:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2062688"},"modified":"2026-07-26T12:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T09:22:10","slug":"stephen-curry-on-missing-out-on-lebron-james-and-the-warriors-uncertain-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2062688","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Curry on missing out on LeBron James and the Warriors\u2019 uncertain future"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2014 Steph Curry wanted LeBron James to come to the Warriors. He thought Golden State had a chance. His reaction to finding out his fellow all-time great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7417464\/2026\/07\/24\/lebron-james-contract-76ers-free-agency\/\">chose the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why you don\u2019t envision anything until it happens,\u201d Curry said Saturday from Moses Moody\u2019s youth camp. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of moving parts.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>By the time Curry talked about James\u2019 decision, which shifted the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, he\u2019d already resettled back into Golden State\u2019s reality. The same one that existed before James announced his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"yvX3OiP6q85LDos\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">LeBron headed to Philly, leaving Warriors fans disappointed<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Authors__jxyYV\">Nick Friedell and Lauren Morales-Jones<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/yvX3OiP6q85LDos\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/yvX3OiP6q85LDos\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;LeBron headed to Philly, leaving Warriors fans disappointed&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-07-24T17:02:52.226Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT48S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/yvX3OiP6q85LDos\/RipIY0LoNSGG.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/yvX3OiP6q85LDos\/RipIY0LoNSGG\/RipIY0LoNSGG.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;LeBron&#8217;s not gonna be a warrior. The dream is dead. So what happens next for Mike Dunleavy and company? First of all, Draymond Green probably gets a new deal. They&#8217;ve got to find a number that works, but it would be a shocker if he landed anywhere else. Next, Yael Wendeborg has to continue to improve. He was the summer league MVP. The next couple of months are important for him. Lastly, as Dunleavy and the Warriors go into camp, they&#8217;ve got to figure out if there&#8217;s a middle ground for Brandon Pajemski. They want to bring him back. Pajeski wants to be there, but as far as that rookie extension deal goes, they have to find the number that works for everybody. Fans aren&#8217;t going to be happy. They wanted to see LeBron, but it wasn&#8217;t meant to be.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Nick Friedell and Lauren Morales-Jones&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The disappointment of missing out on yet another difference-making addition, something to get the Warriors out of the Play-In purgatory they\u2019ve been in the last four years, had already morphed into acceptance.<\/p>\n<p>No Giannis. No Jaylen Brown. No LeBron. No Anthony Davis. No one\u2019s holding their breath for Trey Murphy III. No Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe.<\/p>\n<p>It might just be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7404779\/2026\/07\/07\/yaxel-lendeborg-golden-state-warriors-mother-draft-pick\/\">Yaxel Lendeborg<\/a>. And maybe Mario Hezonja. And prayers for the speedy recoveries of Jimmy Butler and Moody. And hopes Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is, entering his 12th season, can play 60 games for the fourth time.<\/p>\n<p>The grand possibilities came down to James choosing to ride with Curry for a most fascinating journey. Once he didn\u2019t, Curry quickly returned to the truth of his situation, one he\u2019d already grappled with months ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe through line,\u201d he said, \u201cwhich is hard on anybody in this situation, especially with us keeping this thing together, is knowing that when Jimmy got hurt and Moses got hurt, the whole calculus of everything changes. How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It\u2019s the same deal. So, I\u2019m a realist on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-pickem\">\n<p>Curry, 38, is entering his 18th season but isn\u2019t exactly shifting priorities. The objective at this stage of his career isn\u2019t difficult to decipher \u2014 even as he remains careful about how he articulates it. He wants to win. He wants the best team the Warriors can assemble around him. He wants a chance, a real chance, for a deep playoff run. The longer it takes for him to sign a contract extension, the more you can bet Curry\u2019s using potential free agency as a tool to keep the Warriors pushing toward that end.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7407517\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7407517 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/06\/29195518\/GettyImages-2271123858-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Steph Curry and LeBron James\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">With LeBron James passing them over, Steph Curry and the Warriors\u2019 options for immediate improvement have worn thin. (Adam Pantozzi \/ NBAE via Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But Curry doesn\u2019t share the outrage of his loyal followers because, as he acknowledged Saturday, he knows what\u2019s really happening behind the scenes. He knows what was actually on the table for the Warriors and what was conjecture. And whatever he knows, it hasn\u2019t prompted him to publicly express frustration with Golden State\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>That leaves them hoping for some magic. The kind former Warriors executive Bob Myers just pulled off for Philadelphia. The Warriors, even with Curry, don\u2019t seem to have that kind of magic.<\/p>\n<p>Reality comes with a bill. And Curry, as always, is being asked to pick up the check.<\/p>\n<p>It means one more year of him having to carry an offense almost completely reliant on him. One more year of scratching out every win possible while hoping it doesn\u2019t burn him out.<\/p>\n<p>That was his fate on Jan. 19, when Butler tore his ACL, then reiterated on March 23, when Moody tore his left patellar tendon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you hope that they both come back healthy,\u201d Curry said, \u201cand we can play at a level that keeps us relevant and competitive and builds a foundation so that we can figure out what it looks like. But that is the situation. We don\u2019t live in any alternative universe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That might be the most succinct description of these Warriors. The alternative universe might be tantalizing. But this one has caveats and circumstances.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7469161\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7469161\/2026\/07\/25\/lebron-james-76ers-decision-warriors-steph-curry\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7469161\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/07\/24231915\/GettyImages-2253999190-1024x683.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"Warriors facing harsh truth, enter next NBA season without realistic title expectations\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  Warriors facing harsh truth, enter next NBA season without realistic title expectations\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  The upcoming 2026-27 campaign has a similar feel to the start of the 2019-20 season. That&#8217;s not a good thing.\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>In this universe, Butler\u2019s $56.8 million expiring contract hasn\u2019t been so attractive to potential trade partners, and certainly not a great enough return for the Warriors to go back on their desire to keep Butler. Golden State seems to have more confidence Butler can return to his former level than the rest of the league.<\/p>\n<p>In this universe, the Warriors aren\u2019t willing to cash in all their available first-round picks unless it puts them in contention. And they\u2019re pretty stringent about the players who they think will do that.<\/p>\n<p>Also in this universe \u2014 fortunately for Warriors fans \u2014 Curry usually plays better the season after ones in which he played fewer than 60 games.<\/p>\n<p>He played just 26 games in 2011-12. The following season, he led the Warriors to the second round of the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>After playing 51 games in 2017-18, he was first-team All-NBA the following season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He played just five games in 2019-20, the Warriors\u2019 worst season in history. In 2020-21, he averaged a career-high 32 points and said the league wouldn\u2019t want to see the Warriors the next year. Golden State won a title in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>He played 56 games in 2022-23. The following year, he won Clutch Player of the Year and played 70 games for the first time in seven years.<\/p>\n<p>Curry totaled 43 games last season, and the Warriors missed the playoffs after losing their second play-in game at Phoenix on April 17. It\u2019s been a full offseason of rest and recovery.<\/p>\n<p>History says a rested Curry can be dangerous. History also never asked a nearly 40-year-old Curry to do this.<\/p>\n<p>The Warriors will need a turn-up season from Curry. But at his age, while battling runner\u2019s knee, it\u2019s asking quite a bit. He\u2019ll have to carry the Warriors without reinforcements. The Warriors\u2019 six highest-paid players \u2014 including Draymond Green, who opted out but is expected to re-sign \u2014 are over 35 or battling back from significant injuries. In the case of Butler, it\u2019s both.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7469211\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7469211\/2026\/07\/25\/lebron-james-decision-explanation-76ers-warriors-heat-timberwolves\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7469211\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/07\/24230812\/GettyImages-2250629100-scaled-e1784951236250.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"Inside LeBron\u2019s Philadelphia Decision: Why pretty much everyone was completely in the dark\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  Inside LeBron\u2019s Philadelphia Decision: Why pretty much everyone was completely in the dark\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  At no point throughout LeBron\u2019 25-day free agency was anyone confident about what he&#8217;d do. Here&#8217;s how it played out as a winding mystery.\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>But the Warriors\u2019 hopes for a late playoff run require their aged squad to be healthy for the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>First, they have to get there.<\/p>\n<p>And that is where Curry\u2019s realism becomes especially poignant. Not because he has declared himself content. Or because his urgency has disappeared. But because the circumstances have narrowed what Golden State can reasonably expect while simultaneously increasing what it asks of him.<\/p>\n<p>Curry, it seems, has come to grips with the demands. At minimum, survive one more half-season, or one more season, until reinforcements come. Hang on until Butler and Moody return. Keep the Warriors on the right side of the standings. Keep them competitive. Build with the youngsters. All while kicking the pipe dream to the next window of opportunity. All while Curry\u2019s own clock keeps ticking.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid4\" data-position=\"mid4\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Maybe since they couldn\u2019t land some major help, the front office can get him some moderate assistance. If not someone who can carry the team in his stead, someone who can be additive to their goal of survival. Such has seemed impossible for Golden State, save for Butler two Februarys ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure,\u201d Curry said, \u201cI\u2019m hopeful for all the creative ideas of getting the best team possible. We had those conversations. But when you have injuries at the top like that, it\u2019s always gonna change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That tension shapes this coming season. The calculus, or the equation, has changed. But somehow, the answer remains the same.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2014 Steph Curry wanted LeBron James to come to the Warriors. He thought Golden State had a chance. His reaction to finding out his fellow all-time great chose the Philadelphia 76ers? \u201cThat\u2019s why you don\u2019t envision anything until it happens,\u201d Curry said Saturday from Moses Moody\u2019s youth camp. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2062688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2062688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2062688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2062688\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2062688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2062688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2062688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}