Warriors' Stephen Curry: Players 'Can't Be Naive' Heading into NBA Trade Deadline

Stephen Curry knows the Golden State Warriors are listening to trade offers ahead of Thursday's deadline, and it does not appear he blames the front office.

"The closer you get to [the deadline], you can't be naive and act like calls aren't being made," Curry told reporters after Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks (6:15 mark). "But for us as players in the locker room, you have to be able to control what you can control. Until it's said otherwise or decisions are made, it's up to us to go out and perform and hold our ground that's a team that's a legitimate team that can win. And if you're not, then you approach things differently when the opportunity presents itself."

Curry scored a season-high 60 points in the Warriors' 141-134 loss to the Hawks, which again featured the players around the two-time MVP failing to perform. Klay Thompson shot a ghastly 4-of-19 from the field, Andrew Wiggins scored just two points in 19 minutes, and Draymond Green struggled in a seven-point night.

It's been a certified mess around Curry all season. Thompson is a shell of himself and is looking at an uncertain future with free agency coming this summer. Green has appeared in just 22 games this season amid suspensions for repeated on-court violence. Wiggins' four-year, $109 million extension already looks like an albatross less than a year into it starting.

The Warriors are a disappointing 21-25 overall with no obvious avenue for a turnaround, barring a trade. Chris Paul will be back from hand surgery sooner than later, but relying on a 38-year-old sixth man—even a Hall of Fame one—to turn around your season doesn't seem particularly promising.

Golden State whiffing on lottery picks James Wiseman (2020) and Moses Moody (2021) hasn't exactly helped matters, either. Jonathan Kuminga looks like a long-term starter and rookie Brandin Podziemski projects as a promising role player, but there is no foundational bridge between the two eras of this roster.

Curry remains a superstar, but he's nearing age 36 and being asked to prop up a foundation on the verge of collapse. The Warriors' loyalty to their core was rewarded with their 2022 championship, but that's looking increasingly like it was a last hurrah.