Former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers shared that the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics were the daring teams that expressed interest in trading for Stephen Curry during his time. Myers mentioned the inquiry while speaking with Adrian Wojnarowski on “The Woj Pod” podcast, hinting that Daryl Morey, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, might have been the one making the move when he was in Houston.
Myers acknowledged, “Yeah, Ainge was persistent. I was never bothered by anyone inquiring about Curry. It’s a GM’s role to explore trades. Ainge, especially, was always inquiring.” Wojnarowski noted that Ainge had recommended Myers to Joe Lacob for the Warriors job.
Myers expressed gratitude, stating, “I owed my career to Ainge.” Reflecting on Ainge’s request for Curry, Myers shared, “We just laughed. We have a strong relationship. But, you know, you have to ask. Everyone knew it wasn’t happening, so it was a good laugh.”
“The Warriors attempted to trade Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for Chris Paul in 2011. It was far from the only time Curry was shopped, but in this instance, the deal was very close to completion. Myers made the offer and Hornets GM Dell Demps was receptive. The catch was Chris Paul, who wanted out of New Orleans but had no intention of playing for the woebegone Warriors. Paul told the Warriors they could do this trade, but he wouldn’t be staying when his contract was up at season’s end.
The Hornets weren’t the only organization to narrowly lose out on the deal of a lifetime. According to one GM, “The Warriors were blind lucky that they were unsuccessful in trading Steph and Klay together for the stars they offered them together for,” he said. “There were many, many people they tried to get and failed.”
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Ethan Strauss, in his book “The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty,” asserted that Bob Myers attempted to trade Stephen Curry in 2020, a revelation shedding light on a pivotal moment before the Warriors’ dynasty took shape.
With Curry and Paul, the latter in the twilight of his career, now teammates on the Warriors, Strauss’ reported revelation about Myers attempting to trade Curry in 2020 could be regarded as a significant “sliding door” moment in NBA history for years to come.
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