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<\/p>\nIs there life after Stephen Curry?<\/p>\n
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We\u2019re all going to find out sooner or later. Maybe we can delay that sad day for a few seasons, but Father Time is undefeated.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s sit down here and have that unpleasant but necessary discussion. Maybe it\u2019s time for Curry to (gulp) leave.<\/p>\n
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The Golden State Warriors are at a crisis point. If you watched the beginning of the playoffs over the weekend, you surely noticed that the league\u2019s top teams are getting younger, quicker, more springy. In that landscape, the Warriors\u2019 core three \u2014 Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green \u2014 might hold steady for another season or so, but holding steady is like treading water in the Olympics\u2019 400-meter freestyle relay.<\/p>\n
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The Warriors say they will consider all options, except, of course, trading Curry. Why would you consider trading one of the great athletes and people in the history of the world?<\/p>\n
Well, there would be two reasons to consider that nuclear option:<\/p>\n
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\n\u2022 If team owner Joe Lacob and his front-office thinkers see trading Curry as the best option for avoiding a bleak and embarrassing future for the Warriors.<\/p>\n
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\u2022 If Curry embraces and endorses the idea, for the good of the Warriors and for himself.<\/p>\n
If another team will offer the Warriors a bounty of draft picks and prospects in exchange for Curry, thus jump-starting a necessary team overhaul, the Warriors should at least consider the offer, and present it to Curry.<\/p>\n
Every move the Warriors made or considered over the past few seasons, every roster and playing-time decision, has been made with the intention of maximizing the Curry Window. It\u2019s at least possible, though, that the only realistic championship window for Curry is with another team.<\/p>\n
Please understand, if Curry tells the Warriors he wants to play out his career here, end of story. No way he would be subjected to the treatment given Joe Montana and Willie Mays, traded near the end of their careers. I\u2019m convinced that if Curry wants to retire with the Warriors, Lacob will make that happen.<\/p>\n
And if Curry wants to play here until he\u2019s 50, wheeling onto the court in a walker, sign me up. Steph Curry is the reason I do this job.<\/p>\n
But if Curry is willing to let the Warriors explore all options, it\u2019s unfair to him if they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Curry\u2019s not going to tell us. He\u2019s not likely to make some grand pronouncement about wanting to play here until the end. So all we can do is speculate.<\/p>\n
His frustration was evident this past season, notable because Curry has been the ultimate sunshine guy, even in hard times. There were the tears of frustration and the courtside chair kick the night Green got thrown out of a big game. There have been moments of despair on the sideline. These infrequent incidents don\u2019t mean that Curry has given up, but they could indicate that he is acutely aware of the ticking clock.<\/p>\n
The breakup of the big three, whenever and however that happens, will be emotionally wrenching for Curry. But it\u2019s going to happen, and it might be less painful \u2014 and more dignified \u2014 if it happens via intelligent design, rather than by driving along until the wheels fall off.<\/p>\n
We shouldn\u2019t be selfish here. If these are the two most logical options, would you rather see Curry slog through a potentially ugly rebuilding project with the Warriors, or go somewhere else and contend for a championship?<\/p>\n
Head coach Steve Kerr, in his postseason media session, made a plea to keep the core three together, at least going into next season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do think there\u2019s a tremendous value in the three of them being Warriors for life,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cIt matters to our fans, it matters to our franchise. So I hope it happens. Fortunately, right now, they\u2019re all still good.\u201d<\/p>\n
They weren\u2019t good enough to push the Warriors into the playoffs, in a league in which more than half the teams make the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Kerr also said, \u201cIt matters that Kobe (Bryant) was a Laker for life. That\u2019s meaningful to the Laker franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Worth noting: In Bryant\u2019s final three seasons, at ages 35, 36 and 37, the Lakers missed the playoffs, and most of the fun was drained from the glorious Kobe spectacle. Granted, he was dogged by injuries, so being traded and leading another team to a title was not a viable option.<\/p>\n
If Curry stays healthy, though, it would be cool to see his last seasons played out in glory, his talents and gifts employed in hot pursuit of titles. Here, or elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impossible for this stuff to end perfectly,\u201d Kerr said. He was referring to the breakup or fadeout of dynasties, but the same applies to the careers of great players.<\/p>\n
If Curry ever leaves, let\u2019s hope they televise his new team\u2019s workouts and warm-ups, because I\u2019d rather watch him in practice, shooting 3s and kicking the ball into the basket, than watch most NBA games. Blessing his departure, if it ever comes to that, would be small payback for all the thrills.<\/p>\n
Reach Scott Ostler: sostler@sfchronicle.com; X\/Twitter: @scottostler<\/p>\n
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