Steph Curry Talks Retirement, Says 'I Want to Win Desperately' amid Warriors Rumors

Stephen Curry is 36 years old and playing in his 16th season in the NBA, but his desire to win is as strong as ever even though he is likely on the home stretch of his career.

"More than I probably have before," he said during a Tuesday interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews while discussing how much he thinks about how much longer he will play. "I think, you know, it's okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near, whatever point. But only because it allows you to enjoy what's happening right now. But I think the more you talk about it, the more you acknowledge it, it levels up just the sense of urgency of the moment now.

"It is a matter of acknowledging like, okay, me and Draymond are in our prime. We're, you know, a situation where you have to kind of think about the game a little differently. But if you're not winning the answer is, like, 'How do we make this happen for me?' I only have a certain amount of years left and I want to win desperately. And what helps me, helps us. So, yeah, it's a funny term, because it's people saying, and what is the actual answer? We're trying to figure it out."

Curry certainly knows what it takes to win, as his resume includes four championships, two MVPs, two scoring titles and 10 All-Star selections.

Yet Golden State is in somewhat of a tricky situation, as it is too good with the future Hall of Famer leading the way to land a top draft pick but likely doesn't have a championship ceiling given the current roster construction.

The Warriors are in eighth place in the Western Conference standings and have dealt with inconsistency throughout the campaign. They started 12-3 and looked the part of a realistic contender but are just 3-10 in the last 13, raising questions about whether they can compete with the best teams in a loaded West.

The front office has attempted to thread the needle by currently competing with Curry and Draymond Green while building toward the future with young players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody.

Still, the young players have been rather inconsistent as well, which is one reason the team lost in the play-in tournament last season and could be headed back that way this season.

The biggest question for the Warriors ahead of the February trade deadline is how the front office responds to the urgency Curry discussed. Perhaps that will lead to a trade of young players or draft picks for veterans ready to contribute to a deep playoff run this season.

Or perhaps the team will largely stay put and hope Curry takes over in key moments during the postseason.

Along those lines, ESPN's Shams Charania reported during Tuesday's NBA Today that the front office is looking for a star who can pair with Curry and Green now and perhaps take the torch down the line.

But that is no easy task even if the goal is relatively clear.