National Basketball Association

NBA Rumors: Why Stephen Curry Should Sign With The Hornets In 2017

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:13 p.m. ET

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November 28, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Seth Curry (30, left) smiles while talking with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, right) after the game at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Kings 120-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Rumors: As the era of Superteams in the NBA lives on, we explore why you should be rooting for Stephen Curry to sign with the Charlotte Hornets in 2017

He’s on another planet. He has to be, because otherwise there is no worldly explanation for how one man has won back-to-back MVP awards, contributed heavily to the 73-win campaign the Warriors put together a season ago, and continues to amaze us even when we think we’ve seen it all.

Who am I talking about? Seth Curry of course. (Calm down, I was just making sure you were paying attention).

Wardell Stephen Curry II, son of former sharpshooter Dell Curry, has gone from undersized prospect who will never make it in the league to (as already mentioned) a multiple MVP award winner. His career 3PT% is 44.4 percent. No, that is not a misprint.

Steph has always been on the Warriors. He was with them when the Warriors’ colors were still navy blue and orange, and has been apart of their championship celebration. In other words – he’s been there through the ups and downs.

My question is this – what if he leaves? By my calculations, he can become a free agent after this upcoming season. Any article I have read that describes this upcoming loaded free agent class has just not included Steph because it’s a ‘sure bet’ he re-signs with Golden State; especially with KD coming to town.

I would counter that claim and say he should be included – and you should hope he leaves…. for Buzz City.

Now, before you scroll down to the comments section to say that this is the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard or I don’t know what I’m talking about, this is a hypothetical situation that I hope happens. I am not Woj, I do not have basketball insider friends. I’m just here to present some reasons why you should root for this to happen/how this could happen.

Speaking of which….

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Family

How awesome would it be to have Steph and Seth out there on the court together just creating shots for each other and three pointers just flying? (The answer is SOOPAH AWESOME).

Seth is an underrated player by himself, but wouldn’t be playing in the shadow of his brother after experiencing a breakout season in Dallas (or wherever else he plays before he joins forces with his brother).

The two would be able to carry on the legacy their father Dell left behind during his time in Buzz City. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

While Charlotte doesn’t have the same caliber roster the Warriors currently do, they do have some solid pieces (Steve Clifford, Frank the Tank, Kemba Walker, Nic Batum – to name a few) in place for the long haul. There’s stability with His Airness’ team, so he would come into a stable environment and not worry if he’s going to have to bolt after one year.

If you don’t buy any of that, he went to high school in NC, college in NC, and some of his family still lives in NC, if I’m not mistaken. He would be geographically closer to his family, and that’s a win no matter what sport you play or how good you are.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

An Easier Path to the ‘Ship

“The Cavs just beat the 73-win Warriors! What do you mean?”

Well, for starters, Steph is younger than LeBron and Bron-Bron will slow down eventually – we think – as the years go on. That, in turn, means that the Cavs won’t always have a stacked roster (See the trades for Dunleavy, the losses of Mozgov, which will hurt by the way, and them still not re-signing J.R. Smith if you want to follow my drift).

Secondly, the Eastern Conference, while improved, is still going to be weaker than its Western counterpart in a year. Steph would have easier playoff matchups to get to the NBA Finals.

Finally, Steve Clifford has a wealth of experience as a head coach and has seen how the Eastern Conference teams operate in the playoffs. He could help Steph navigate any hurdles that may arise.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Free Agency

Taking a look at the free agent list, I’m sure if Steph signed with the Hornets, he wouldn’t have a problem convincing a Jrue Holiday to be a 6th Man and back him and Kemba up for a chance at a title.

Other names that are actually realistic targets include Danilo Gallinari (player option), Serge Ibaka, and Amir Johnson among others.

While not game-changers, the Hornets probably aren’t be going to keep Ramon Sessions and Roy Hibbert for the long term. Charlotte could suddenly have a very deep team, similar to how the Warriors have constructed their roster over the last few years.

Of course, it all hinges on signing Stephen Curry. He’s pretty important.

Dec 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) leaves the floor after the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Warriors win 116-99. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Conclusion

You may not buy any of it. That’s okay, I’m done…almost.