It is over! Steph Curry leaves the press conference with the words, “That’s the end of the road,” signaling his retirement. And snap! You’re dragged back to reality only to realize it was a nightmare, the collective nightmare for many Dubs fans. After Klay Thompson‘s soul-crushing exit, this is the biggest worry for the Warriors nation. But for now, Steph Curry will stay for another two seasons, at least.

This window of time can be dubbed “The Curry Window”, and the franchise, fans know full well that after this, the only way is a downward spiral. Where winning is a culture, the thought of contending only for the playoffs is a sin. But that sin might be a daily dose of reality for the Warriors after Curry eventually hangs up his boots. But what if they have a cornerstone for the future? A cornerstone that will come at the expense of others who were deemed as the future of the franchise.

This was the subject of discussion during the latest episode of Dubs Talk: A Golden State Warriors Podcast. Host Dalton Johnson explores the opportunity for the Warriors to rope in the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen. How will that work? To put it simply, Joe Lacob must put the future on the line. With Stephen Curry’s $215 million contract expiring after the 2025/26 season, the Warriors have only two seasons to add more championships to its trophy cabinet.

But right now, with the likes of veteran Draymond Green, young guns, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, the Dubs are a playoff side at best. Last season’s loss to the Kings in the play-in made that obvious. So the solution? “If you’re the Warriors and you say, okay, why would we trade Kuminga, Podziemski, Moody and draft picks for Lauri Markkanen? Well, Lauri’s 27. He’s a guy you can build around…He’s going to be around long beyond the Curry window and Draymond and Steve (Kerr)…So what’s Lauri Markkane will be 32 years old, five years from now. So that means, okay, they have a cornerstone for the future,” co-host Monte Poole explained.

“They should be a playoff team. But that’s not good enough for Joe Lacob, and I understand why… We want to get to the finals. Because once you get to the finals, anything can happen. And so if you don’t get that number two scorer, you can’t really say, yeah, let’s roll. We’re ready now, we’re going to get back to being who we were a few years ago. We’re going to be in the mix for the championship,” Poole concluded. As per the NBC reporter, Joe Lacob’s ambition to win within the said Curry window could prompt the franchise to make a move for Markkanen. To make that happen, the franchise will have to give up Kuminga, Podz or Moody along with some draft picks which can be detrimental down the line.

But Lauri Markkanen can make up for it. His two-way prowess on the court, his 7-foot build, and his aim from downtown make him the perfect asset for any title-contending team. But, amidst all this Stephen Curry’s future becomes a focal point and holds the potential for a future domino effect. The 10-time All-Star at 36 is possibly on his last hurrah in the Olympics, but for his Dubs career, the story is a bit different. The physical demand of it, the wear and tear of 82 regular season games plus post-season, how long can Steph’s body take that? He answered that himself.

Steph Curry on his retirement plans

For a point guard who’s averaging 24.8 points per game thanks to his immaculate shooting range, last season was a better-than-expected one on a personal note. His 26.4 points PPG was proof enough that he’s not finished yet and Curry also feels the same. “I think about it all the time,” Curry said in an interview during the All-Star Weekend. “But the thoughts stop because you’ve gotta get ready for the next game. There’s a routine and a cycle that goes that you embrace the now. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you will wake up, and whatever your body is telling you, whatever your mind is telling you it’s time. But, I don’t think I’m anywhere close to that.”

Even medical experts believe Curry can play well up to his 40s given his hand-eye coordination will drop only after that age. So there’s still hope for Steph Curry and the Dubs nations to see that fifth ring around his finger and Lauri Markkanen’s addition could push that dream a step further towards reality. But for now, the Warriors front office is holding off from the idea of trading their prized future assets. But deeper into the summer or even during the trade window, if the Warriors find their backs against the wall, would they still not contemplate a move for the Finnish forward? A reality might await everyone in the Bay Area.