Former MVPs and All-NBA stars have been constantly linked with the Golden State Warriors. The Dub Nation’s search to complement their superstar Stephen Curry has so far produced no results. With two years left on his contract, there is another solution that head coach Steve Kerr can try to maximize this window. Former assistant coach who spent two seasons in the Bay Area, Jerry Stackhouse provides a controversial opinion.

“But I think it’s really about the health; everything is so Steph-centric,” Stackhouse said on Run It Back. “And when he’s not in the picture, it kind of throws everything for a loop. I think that the challenge for the Warriors going forward is to try to find a way to not put a heavy tax on Steph and even Draymond at this point of his career and try to find other people that they can play through and can be more of the, and allow these guys to kind of transition to more secondary players. And I know that sounds crazy that you ever think of, you know, Steph Curry as a secondary player. Find a way for him to be a complement and not be the guy that folks are solely depending on.”

Ever since being the 1A option for the Warriors, Stephen Curry always had pieces to complement him. Be it the addition of Kevin Durant or the role evolution of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green over the years. Stackhouse, being inside the building, has seen the toll without Curry being the focal point. We have seen them capitulate in real time.

Curry sustained a hamstring injury during Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2025. It effectively halted his momentum and compromised the Warriors’ depth, who lost the next 4 games to end the series 1-4. Even this year, he missed the 2026 NBA All-Star Game and was sidelined for over two consecutive months (more than 25 games). He managed to return only at the very tail-end of the regular season in April. Clear signs of the franchise needing to reduce his burden.

The 18-year veteran, Stackhouse, also stated that Steph is “going to be 39 this year and Father Time’s undefeated.” That’s why he suggested the trade for proven Finals MVP in LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard as a possible solution.

“So, got to go out and I’ve been hearing Kawhi, you’ve been hearing LeBron, getting a piece like that can rejuvenate everybody and can fill in the gaps on those times.”

Unlike Stephen Curry, whose severe right knee bone bruising completely limited him to a career-low 43 games. Both LeBron and Kawhi successfully delivered highly productive regular-season minutes. Leonard played in 65 games and produced 27.9 points (6th in the NBA) with 6.4 rebounds on 50.5 FG%. Despite being 41, James had another All-Star-level season with 20.9 points, 7.2 assists (7th in the NBA), and 6.1 rebounds while battling ankle soreness and right-side sciatica issues.

The Warriors added Jimmy Butler for this exact reason and added veterans and other former champions to the roster. But that gamble hasn’t paid off well.

Stackhouse calls for clearing the house for Stephen Curry

The Warriors’ grand vision of a Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler superstar pairing has been utterly dismantled by a brutal sequence of overlapping injuries over the last two seasons. Butler’s ACL injury and Curry’s knee issues, there is no guarantee that the two superstars will continue to have a healthy postseason run together.

“Because Jimmy’s not going to be a part of the picture,” said Stackhouse. “I think even if he comes back, you know, he’s going to be on minutes restrictions. The other guy, the guys like Horford and Porzingis, the guys that he brought in at the trade deadline, those guys were in and out of the lineup. So it’s like you got to find some consistency there. And I think that’s going to be a challenge for the Warriors.”

Porzingis, who was acquired at the February deadline, appeared in just 15 games because of his injuries. Even Al Horford, who was contemplating retirement before his move to the Warriors, seems unlikely to return. The former champion holds a $6 million player option, but he will turn 42 in December and has also missed significant time because of his own ailment.

So instead of baking on injured stars, the focus should turn towards superstars who delivered. James and Leonard can be the #1 option when the time calls, which helps Stephen Curry navigate the season.