Warriors Need Kawhi Leonard-Like Decision for Steph Curry’s Legacy: Insider

With superstar Steph Curry still at the top of his game, the Golden State Warriors will continue to be a contender in the upcoming season.
The Warriors will look to bounce back from their previous dismal campaign, which saw them fail to qualify for the playoffs after losing to the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament.
Entering his 16th season, Curry remains the cornerstone of the franchise. But at 36 years old, he’s not getting younger. The championship window is closing fast.
For ESPN insider Zach Lowe, the Warriors must make a critical move soon to prolong Curry’s legacy. Luckily for the squad’s brass, there’s already a blueprint, as cited by Lowe.
“It’s going to take a home run, a lightning strike, something like the Spurs got with drafting Kawhi Leonard toward the end of Tim Duncan’s prime,” Lowe said on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”
“It’s going to take a home run, a lightning strike, something like the Spurs got with drafting Kawhi Leonard toward the end of Tim Duncan’s prime.”
The Spurs traded for Leonard, who was the 15th overall pick, on draft day in 2011. It proved to be a smart transition move, as the two-way forward blossomed into a star and led the Spurs to the crown in 2014, winning as Finals MVP.
Lowe stressed the tough trade-off of being a contender for a long stretch, which the Warriors have been in the past few years.
“This is what happens to great legends who stay with one team,” Lowe noted. “You win a lot, and while you’re winning a lot, you draft at the bottom of the first rounds, you’re probably not getting stars there, and then the core gets old.
“That’s where the Warriors are.”
With Klay Thompson gone, Curry, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney are the only core members left from their dynastic run. While young guys Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis have promise, none of them have shown enough to be considered as Curry’s successor.
“They’re (Warriors) not dead yet, but it’s gonna take one home run, lighting strike to get back toward the top,” Lowe added.