Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob is reportedly prioritizing the organization's success beyond Stephen Curry's playing career, a strategy that may cause frustration among fans still focused on winning championships with their star player. This long-term vision, as reported by longtime Bay Area reporter Tim Kawakami, centers on proving the franchise can thrive after Curry is no longer leading the team.
"What Lacob wants to do, and this might get Warriors fans mad, but he wants to build the next team after Steph Curry," Kawakami stated on The TK Show. "I don’t know how possible that is, but Lacob has a very keen interest in ‘This organization is going to show what it can do with Steph Curry and then after Steph Curry.’ I don’t think it’s going to be as good myself, but that’s what he wants to do."
While an owner's responsibility for long-term financial health is understandable, this focus on a post-Curry era could be met with resistance from a fanbase eager for more championships while Curry, who is expected to sign an extension that could keep him with the team through the end of his career, is still active. Curry will be 38 entering next season, with key teammates Draymond Green and Klay Thompson also nearing the twilight of their careers.
This reported shift in priority comes after the Warriors pursued LeBron James in the offseason, ultimately losing him to the Philadelphia 76ers. Instead of making another significant acquisition, the team appears to be preserving draft capital and focusing on re-signing Green, while attempting to balance an aging core with younger talent. This approach echoes the organization's past "two-timeline" strategy, which aimed to compete with Curry, Green, and Thompson while developing players like James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. That plan yielded mixed results, with Wiseman becoming a costly draft miss and Kuminga being traded without reaching his anticipated star potential.
The Warriors still possess draft assets that could be used to pursue established players, but retaining these picks also supports Lacob's objective of building a roster for the future. This creates an ongoing question: Is Golden State fully committed to winning championships now, or is it limiting its current spending and trade flexibility to prepare for a future without its iconic player?
Lacob may eventually have the opportunity to demonstrate the Warriors' ability to win without Curry, but fans would likely prefer that realization occur only after Curry's tenure with the team has concluded.