Stephen Curry is a popular name as is, but over the past few days, he's been a hot topic among Boston Celtics fans. That is because John Karalis of OnSI explored the idea of what a trade would look like if the superstar guard were available for Brad Stevens to go after, which some interpreted as meaning that Boston had already made an offer for the 38-year-old.
That wasn't the case, but with the aggregation accounts spinning out of control, what Karalis actually wrote got glossed over.
The truth of the matter is that Curry could be a player the Celtics pursue, especially if he decides his future doesn't align with the Warriors' direction. That hasn't happened yet, though. Boston should still be keeping tabs on him, as it should with Nikola Jokić, who actually may have a better shot at hitting the trade market than Steph.
Now, don't interpret this as meaning that Boston is actively in trade talks with Denver about Jokić, because that's not the case. The Nuggets aren't taking calls from any team, but if they were, there would be a long line of suitors waiting to make their case.
Instead, this is about the idea that Jokić could be available, and if that were to happen, Boston should be at the front of the line, with Stevens doing everything he can to make a trade go through, including using the assets they got in the Jaylen Brown deal.
Jokic could become a free agent next offseason
He has a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season that he could decline next summer to become an unrestricted free agent. It'd be disastrous for Denver to lose Jokić, period, but especially if it was for nothing.
The Nuggets would do everything in their power to prevent it from getting to that point, which could happen if Jokić signed an extension. He was eligible to do so last summer but delayed it because he could sign for more money this offseason. Well, the thing is, he's waiting again.
Jokić said himself that his "idea" is to sign a new deal next offseason and remain with the Nuggets for the remainder of his career. That wasn't the first time he's said he wants to stay and retire in Denver, and given his current contract status, it probably won't be the last.
Jokic should be Celtics' top dream target
Curry is currently on an expiring $62.6 million contract and will be eligible to sign an extension at the end of this month, so the speculation about a trade could end very soon.
As ESPN's Anthony Slater recently reported, the Warriors are "very open" to having a conversation about signing him to either a one or two-year deal. If he declines to do so, choosing to see how next season plays out, speculation about his future would spike.
As of right now, though, he hasn't given any indication that he wants to leave San Francisco, just like Jokić with Denver. Still, if there's even a slim chance that Boston could get either, it's certainly worth exploring. If it came down to one or the other, the Celtics should go after the superstar center.
As thrilling as it'd be to see Curry, the best shooter in NBA history, suit up in green, Boston would have a better chance at making another championship run with Jayson Tatum if Jokić were in town.
Jokić is seven years younger than Curry, and he's pretty durable. The 65 games he played last season were a career low for him, and that was because he suffered a hyperextended knee that kept him out for a few weeks, the first time he's dealt with an injury of that severity, which, luckily, wasn't all that severe.
You have to think he will start slowing down sometime, but he's coming off a season in which he averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game, shooting 56.9% from the field and 38% from three. Jokić will continue to be a terror for opposing defenses, at least for the next few years. You can't confidently say the same for Curry.
Celtics getting Jokic is still very much a far-fetched dream
Jokić is allowed to change his mind. Just because he has said that he wants to stay in Denver for the entirety of his career doesn't mean he has to.
If the Nuggets underwhelm through the first half of the 2026-27 season, could he decide he wants out before the deadline? Or if they come up well short of their championship aspirations in the playoffs again, could that do it?
Even with Jokić deciding not to sign an extension this summer, instead waiting for next, when he will be eligible for more money and a fifth year, it doesn't seem all that likely (as in a two percent chance, and even that might be pushing it) that he will ask out.
Crazier things have happened in the NBA, though, and if he is traded, you have to think he will be open to playing for Joe Mazzulla, who is as no-nonsense as Jokić is. Their personalities would mesh well together.
That door will remain cracked open just a little bit, at least until Jokić slams it shut next year when he signs an extension with Denver, if he does.
Like Curry, he's fiercely loyal to the only NBA team he has ever played for, so the odds of either hitting the market don't look good. Still, both situations are worth monitoring for Boston, particularly Jokić's.
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