Stephen Jackson Dismisses Warriors' Title Chances; Pitches Stephen Curry-Spurs Trade Idea

The Golden State Warriors haven't looked like title contenders over the last four seasons, and former NBA player Stephen Jackson isn't expecting much from them in 2026-27 either. Jackson was asked on his All The Smoke podcast whether this version of the Warriors has a shot at winning the title. 'Nah, I don't,' Jackson said, via DraftKings. '… That's asking a lot from Steph [Curry] right now.' Warriors superstar Stephen Curry might not have been able to drag this Warriors team to the title in his prime, let alone now when he's 38 years old. The 12-time All-Star is still playing at a high level, having averaged 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2025-26, but he needs more around him at this stage of his career. Unfortunately, Curry's co-star Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January 2026. Butler is expected to return before the Feb. 11 trade deadline next year, but you wonder how well he'll be able to play. Even if the 36-year-old does well, they still don't have enough. The Warriors' supporting cast around their stars includes Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Al Horford, and Yaxel Lendeborg. They're solid pieces, but you need much better ones if you want to compete with the big boys. The Warriors were linked with some heavy hitters in the summer like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, but weren't able to land any big names. They might still improve on their 37-45 record from last season, but there remains a real chance of them missing the playoffs again. We haven't seen the Warriors in the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, and there have been calls for Curry to ask out. It doesn't look like he ever will, but if he ever does, Jackson wants him to go to the San Antonio Spurs. 'San Antonio for me,' Jackson said. '… They got De'Aaron Fox. They can package one of those… I ain't even talk about [Dylan] Harper or [Stephon] Castle. They got two big draft picks this year. So, they did well in the draft. So, they got the pieces to move for a Steph with De'Aaron Fox. I think that would be great.' Jackson was referring to Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. there. The 48-year-old reckons the Spurs can include enough value with youngsters and draft picks in a trade package for the Warriors to be willing to part with Curry. With De'Aaron Fox's four-year, $229 million extension kicking in from this season, matching salaries wouldn't be a problem either. The Ringer's Bill Simmons has also suggested a Curry trade to the Spurs. He thinks trading Fox and all their picks to the Warriors would work. If Curry is added to a Spurs team that already has Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, they'd be the clear title favorites. They could definitely use a sniper, and he is the greatest shooter in NBA history. Curry could do with having some great defenders around him, and Wembanyama and Castle are just that. This could be a match made in heaven, but there is just one problem. Curry has made it clear once again that he wants to spend the rest of his career with the Warriors. He is confident that will happen as well. Warriors owner Joe Lacob had said all the exit rumors regarding Curry were clickbait and he was on point. Now, Curry has been eligible to sign a two-year, $136.7 million extension since Aug. 29. He hasn't signed it yet, but said that it will be figured out at the right time. Jackson's co-host Matt Barnes thinks Curry will ride the ship until it sinks, as Kobe Bryant did with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is in a bit of a weird situation where he does still want to compete, but also wants to stay with the Warriors. Here's hoping, for Curry's sake, that they are able to rebound. This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.