The Golden State Warriors are stuck in a rut. They currently sit at the #8 seed in the West, just a few games over .500, and their hopes of contention look to be in jeopardy despite Stephen Curry still playing at an All-NBA level. Now, one reporter has made the uncomfortable reality clear.

“I think there’s maybe a desire to shed some money,” Warriors insider Anthony Slater told Tim Bontemps on Stock Report. “They’re more interested in an expiring type deal than a DeMar DeRozan type deal. And I’m not talking players right now. I’m just literally talking contract structure.”

Bontemps initially questioned Golden State’s current strategy, noting that keeping usable salary on the books was more valuable than clearing it, especially because it can be aggregated in trades for big swings.

Slater made the distinction that the decision wasn’t about fit or production, but the ability to stay flexible financially: dodging apron penalties and luxury tax while avoiding long-term commitments, even if that comes at the expense of short-term roster clarity.

Bontemps pushed back against this, noting that the Warriors already do have the expiring contracts, including and deals which reach team options at the end of this year. However, Slater’s final point shifted the conversation to one key point.

“You also have to tell Jimmy Butler on February 6th that you just did that,” Slater said. “You have to tell Stephen Curry on February 6th that you just did that. And Steve Kerr, by the way.”

The meaning is clear. Any move right now that prioritizes expiring deals and cap flexibility over win-now upgrades comes with hard conversations that GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. can’t avoid.

Curry and Butler, veterans who are still playing at great levels despite advanced age, will have to accept that winning now is not the organization’s focus, and Kerr will inevitably have to deal with the fallout that results from it.

The Conversation Stephen Curry Hasn’t Had And What It Reveals About the Warriors’ Direction

The trade deadline is looming over the Warriors. If the team exits February 6th having prioritized expiring contracts and flexibility, the message will be loud across the locker room. For Stephen Curry, this would confirm that the organization is choosing restraint over any kind of urgency,  and the uncertain future to the narrow window the team is currently operating on.

From the front office, the logic is fair. Warriors leadership, spearheaded by Dunleavy, clearly values preserving trade slots for the summer, which might bring bigger names into play, like Giannis Antetokounmpo. In that hypothetical, Jonathan Kuminga‘s contract becomes leverage. Kuminga represents the cleanest way to pivot without committing long-term money, even if it means choosing meaningless basketball in the present.

This clarity has a cost. Lineups and losses will continue to get louder as the lack of urgency, no reinforcements, the hesitation throughout the roster continue to stack up. Curry doesn’t need to be told outright, and Kerr is going to be left selling what he cannot prove, asking veterans to commit while the franchise itself gives up on their chances.