Warriors blockbuster trade idea sends Stephen Curry to Rockets for $50 million NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It’s safe to say Golden State Warriors fans would be inconsolable if the franchise traded Stephen Curry.

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Curry is responsible for elevating the Dubs to new heights since his 2009 arrival, as he’s helped them win four championships and cemented himself as one of, if not the most gifted, players to represent the organization.

That said, Jimmy Butler’s recent injury (torn ACL) could open the door for a complete rebuild. CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn believes Golden State could start from scratch by sending Curry to the Houston Rockets for a 31-year-old NBA champion guard.

“Warriors fans would rather watch Curry lose for them than win elsewhere,” Quinn wrote Wednesday.

“But if you believe this current group has no real championship equity, then purely logically speaking, a Curry trade potentially recouping meaningful assets is the best long-term decision because it could increase championship equity at a point in the future in which actually winning a championship is somewhat more plausible.”

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“These ideas are supposed to grow more ridiculous with each passing trade. What’s more ridiculous than exploring a Stephen Curry trade? It only happens with his say-so. We’re pretending we live in a world in which he’s decided he’d rather win elsewhere than lose in Golden State.”

For clarity, Quinn’s trade scenario would send Curry to the Rockets, Buddy Hield, Gui Santos, and a 2030 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets, and Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith, Reed Sheppard, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Warriors.

It’s unlikely Curry will finish his NBA career with a different franchise. No matter how difficult life gets for the Dubs, Curry appears to be one of the assets the franchise would be against trading.

If the Warriors want to take the unselfish route, though, they could execute Quinn’s trade idea and allow Curry to compete with a Rockets franchise well-positioned to make a deep playoff run.

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Acquiring VanVleet would help the Dubs remain respectable, but it would be illogical for him to expect to replicate Curry’s success in the Bay.

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