Preview: Back to hope, and Stephen Curry

Golden State takes on Utah as trade window ticks toward closed

The Golden State Warriors are heading to Utah to take on the Jazz, and should have most of their players back. Golden State has lost three of their last four games, but will be favored to come out of this night with the win over a Jazz team that finds itself adrift - looming reality for Golden State, but one that is still held at bay by the team’s top tier star.

In the Warriors’ favor, by resting the old fellas on the tail end of their back-to-back in Minnesota, they will be entering tonight’s contest with a full battery of rest. The Jazz, on the other hand, will be coming off of last night’s game against the smoking hot Los Angeles Clippers. Lauri Markkanen is back in Utah’s lineup after missing eight of the team’s previous nine games, prior to last night. It’s a different team with Markkanen, so Golden State will have their hands full.

At time of writing, Curry, Draymond Green, and Gary Payton were all listed as Probable. No Jimmy Butler or Seth Curry until further notice, and Jonathan Kuminga is battling through an injury (wink wink) and is listed as out, too.

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GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors (26-22) at Utah Jazz (15-31)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 28th, 2026; 6pm PST

WATCH: NBCSBA

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Nothing left but delusion hope

The absence of Jimmy Butler is a cloud that hangs dark and heavy over everything, but if that’s true, then Stephen Curry is the relentless Sun. As long as Curry is playing, this team has a chance. It’s not much of a plan per se, but it’s something to lean on through the rain.

Curry, plus a bunch of reasonably competent guys, will get you somewhere that isn’t the bottom of the standings - but where exactly this team lands is unlikely to be near the top, unless something drastically changes in the next couple of weeks. Per the NBA’s season calendar, the trade window closes on February 5th. Next Thursday.

Barring something majorly unexpected developing, it appears increasingly likely that Kuminga has played his last game with the Warriors. The best follow-up option on the roster for a “Robin” to Curry’s Batman is probably De’Anthony Melton, who has been phenomenally impactful. But at 6’2” and heading back into unrestricted free agency after this season, this is probably a one-time pairing.

Okay, so the odds of another shot a championship appear astronomically small, dare we say? A distance measured in Light Years?

But there are crazy results all the time. As we watch the party come to a close, the music turns down and you catch those cool little details around the edges. Does it really matter what the ceiling is here? Curry is still elite.

More importantly, there’s a gravitas attached to what he’s done for so long. Top-20 all time in Scoring. The only guard in the top-10 for scoring efficiency.

Let’s stop for a second on that point.

The only guard… wait.¹ Double-checking. Who is Artis Gilmore… nice. So, maybe even top-20 in shooting efficiency as well…This is a crazy list, I won’t click through all the names I don’t recognize, but safe to say that Curry is an extreme outlier when it comes to scoring.²

So with Curry in place, there’s suddenly room for an easier brand of magic around the edges. Brandin Podziemski isn’t driving into the teeth of the defense (as frequently). And sure, the lack of a legitimate second option is going to hamper this team, and require more from Curry, but the tertiary players can shine more easily in this environment. At the core, this is still a team built around Curry, and he is still one of the elite superstars in today’s NBA.

As I joked about this with my coworker today, I did say “all I have left is delusion… and Steph Curry.” But on further consideration, I’ve come up with crazier ideas. I’ve seen way worse versions of this team that have captured my heart. This isn’t totally delusional, to continue watching this team, perhaps even holding some small simmering candle of hope in the darkest, most Gold-Blooded™ corner of our hearts.

Gui Santos and Will Richard are a huge part of the explanation of why Kuminga can’t get minutes, and as unfortunate as it is to watch Kuminga and the Warriors’ slow breakup, there’s still something to root for here. Something to believe in. De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford may not be in it for the long haul, but they provide enough firepower to help augment what Curry does.

As an example, take a look at the table below. Don’t worry too much about the specifics, but know that this is the simple on/off plus minus, you can see the full details here, but note the green bars that the full strength (minus Jimmy and Kuminga) show up with. Even depleted, this is a solid roster that can win games, against any opponent.

Green, good. Santos, Melton and Hield all were part of the huge 3rd quarter run.

All of this is to say, the end may be near, but it isn’t here. Not yet. And for a while longer, the world gets a front row seat to watch what Curry and the Warriors can do. It’s back to being against all odds, but maybe that just makes it more fun.

Right now, this team exists in a strange in-between space - not rebuilding, not contending, not fully letting go. And maybe that’s the point. The standings matter less than the act of watching itself. Of noticing the little things: the way Curry bends a defense just by crossing half court, the way role players suddenly look more comfortable when gravity tilts in his direction, the way a season that should be slipping quietly refuses to do so. Maybe there is still a chance here, or at least enough of a dream to keep us on the edge of our seats.

Dynasties don’t usually end with fireworks. They end with long shadows and late nights, with fans slowly realizing they’re no longer participants, but witnesses. And that’s okay. There’s value in bearing witness to something rare while it’s still happening.

This version of the Warriors may not have a clean path forward, or a believable roadmap back to the top. But as long as Stephen Curry is still doing Stephen Curry things, the story isn’t over - it’s just quieter now. More intimate. Less about banners, more about moments.

And for a franchise, a team, and a fan base that’s lived at full volume for more than a decade, maybe that’s not such a bad way to say goodbye… whenever that day finally comes.

Prediction

All of that said, this is a win.

Here’s the thing about teams like this: they’re supposed to fade politely. Lose a few extra games, slide down the standings, make the inevitable feel inevitable. But that hasn’t happened yet. And as annoying as it may be for the league - or for anyone waiting for the Warriors to finally disappear - Stephen Curry keeps refusing to cooperate.

This roster is flawed. The ceiling is low. The margin for error is microscopic. And yet, night after night, Golden State still shows up capable of ruining someone else’s evening.

1. Leaving this in as a window into my writing process. Normally I’d edit cleaner, but it was a fun journey.

2. Apologies to Mr. Twarddzik, but in my defense, he was born in 1950 and averaged 9 points per game.