The Golden State Warriors are stuck in the worst position a team can be in. The team is too good to be in the running for the top pick, but not good enough to be a true contender.
The team has been locked in a holding pattern with unhappy forward Jonathan Kuminga, and also recently lost star veteran Jimmy Butler III to a season-ending injury. Thus, Charles Barkley recently explained that Stephen Curry is actually the “biggest loser” this season.
Charles Barkley Explains How Stephen Curry Is in a Bad Spot
Curry is still playing at an elite level. The 37-year-old is still averaging 27.4 points and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 47.0% from the field and 39.2% from deep.
Unfortunately, Curry doesn’t have the supporting cast he once had. Butler was playing well, but he won’t be back on the court this season. This leaves Brandon Podziemski as the second-leading scorer on the team after Curry.
Of course, it would help if Jonathan Kuminga were contributing. The forward has long been unhappy with the Warriors and has frequently been labeled a trade candidate. However, the team may be reluctant to trade the forward now that Butler is out.
As a result, Barkley believes Curry is now in a bad spot. “The biggest loser in the whole thing is Steph because they were not contenders, now Steph is gonna finish the last part of his career on a mediocre team,” Barkley explained.
Chuck while talking about the Kuminga drama:
“The biggest loser in the whole thing is Steph because they were not contenders now Steph is gonna finish the last part of his career on a mediocre team” pic.twitter.com/yW398dcxRr
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 24, 2026
If Butler was healthy and Kuminga was a contributor, the team would likely at least be playing meaningful playoff basketball. However, given the current roster, it’s hard to see the team competing this season.
“That’s what’s disheartening about,” Barkley continued. “They were not contenders, but they were a solid team (with Butler).”
Warriors Could be Stuck in the Middle this Season
With Curry leading the way, the Warriors are sitting at 25-21 overall and are in third place in the Pacific Division. The team is 0-2 since Butler went down with his injury.
Per NBA Advanced Stats, the Warriors are 11th in net offense rating and eighth in net defense rating. It will be interesting to see if the team still decides to trade Kuminga or if perhaps the wing can find new life on the team without Butler.
The Warriors are set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.