Warriors should still have championship aspirations with Stephen Curry on the roster

Stephen Curry is in the final chapter of his career. He's entering his age-36 season. Last season, he averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three-point range. 

Sooner or later, Curry will start slowing down, and the end of an illustrious career will dawn on him. Fortunately for basketball fans, that inevitable future project will be a few years away. 

Curry is currently in Paris with Team USA, gearing up for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Once the tournament ends, he will return to the Bay Area and begin preparations for another run at an NBA championship. 

The veteran sharpshooter has helped hoist four banners for the Warriors. He is also aiming to retire with the franchise, joining a rare club of players who have represented one team throughout their careers.

"I’ve always said I want to be a Warrior for life," Curry told Marc Spears of Andscape in an exclusive interview. "At this stage in my career, I feel like that’s possible. And you can still be a competitive, it doesn’t mean you guaranteed the championship. It doesn’t mean winning. Winning is always a priority, but obviously you’re realistic. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen if you stay the course. You need to shake things up and keep reimagining what it looks like to evolve with what league is at right now, with where some of these talented teams are now."

Curry's skill set isn't based on elite athleticism, unlike most NBA superstars. Instead, he generates high-quality shots via relentless movement when he doesn't have the ball. He runs over, under, around and into screens. He forces defenders to never stop moving, thus wearing them out throughout a game. 

As long as Curry can keep hitting shots at an above-average clip, the Warriors will have an elite offensive weapon at their disposal. Therefore, they will have a game-winning talent to lean on for as long as Curry remains in the NBA. 

The challenge will be continually retooling the roster to get the best out of the aging star. Mike Dunleavy Jr. must add more youth to the rotation as he continues to slow down. Steve Kerr's roster is at its best when playing with pace. Eventually, Curry must embrace playing a more off-ball role. 

Nevertheless, the Warriors can look forward to multiple more years of being in contention for a championship. Curry's presence will ensure they're always capable of challenging in the Western Conference. How long that continues remains anybody's guess.