Draymond Green

Warriors Notes: Trade Targets, Curry, Kerr, Green, Kuminga

The Warriors are in the market for an athletic center, according to NBA Insider Chris Haynes (hat tip to Real GM).

Speaking on NBA on Prime, Haynes pointed out a number of issues that the Warriors have regarding their interior players.

“They are looking for size and athleticism. You look at the Warriors – rebounding and blocked shots, they’re in the bottom half of the league. And points in the paint, they are dead last. So they are looking for an athletic center,” he said.

Haynes named the Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, the Nets’ Nic Claxton, and the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams as potential targets. “I was told they are really serious and they are trying to do everything they can to try to get the team back to being of the caliber of a championship contending-type,” Haynes added.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • Heading into their rematch with the Suns on Saturday, the Warriors are saddled with a 13-15 record and three-game losing streak. They lost to Phoenix 99-98 on Thursday and are re 5-10 in clutch games, defined as the game’s score being within five points during the final five minutes. “If you’re gonna be a good team, you’re able to overcome all of that,” Stephen Curry said, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “We’re obviously not a good team right now because of what our record says and the fact that we found ourselves in these kind of positions.”
  • In a similar vein, coach Steve Kerr felt his team displayed poor body language while getting outscored 53-45 during the second half. “I thought we let our shoulders drop a little bit,” Kerr said. “Energy, spirit, let ourselves feel sorry for ourselves a little bit when they made their run. I’m really proud of the guys, the way they fought, and gave ourselves a chance, but we’ve just got to be sharper — 20 turnovers for 30 points. So we’ve got to be sharper with the ball. We’ve got to be better with our body language and our energy.”
  • They need Draymond Green, in particular, to cut down on his sloppy play, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. He notes that Green has committed a whopping 13 turnovers over the last two games.
  • Jonathan Kuminga played for the first time in nearly two weeks against Phoenix. He logged 10 minutes with Curry and Green on the court. “It felt good,” Kuminga said, per Friedell. “I feel like I fit perfect with them. I’ve been playing with them for a couple years now. I know how they play and I know where to be when they’re playing when we’re on the floor.” Kuminga is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15. “I don’t look at that,” Kuminga said. “I think when it comes, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I don’t put my mind focusing on that. Because it’s gonna take me out of (the present) so I don’t even think about stuff like that. I just focus on how I’mma get on that floor, when I get on that floor, what am I going to do to help us win and stuff like that? That’s actually what’s been on my mind … just go out there and compete and find a way.”

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Curry, Horford, Rotation, Richard, More

Several weeks after Klay Thompson tore his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Warriors re-signed him to a five-year, maximum-salary contract in a show of loyalty to a player who had helped them win three championships up to that point. However, that deal became a source of contention between Thompson and management, according to Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Thompson, who tore his Achilles a year later in a pickup game away from the team’s facility and ended up missing a second consecutive full season, later admitted he should have been more careful about his ACL rehab process. However, given what he believes he’d contributed to the team Thompson was upset to overhear team owner Joe Lacob griping about his drop-off in production and telling people that the veteran sharpshooter should be grateful Golden State gave him that contract, sources tell Slater and MacMahon.

“This was a guy who felt he left it all out there for Joe and the organization, and was then viewed as damaged goods,” one league source said to ESPN.

That was one major factor that contributed to the growing tension between Thompson and the Warriors later on in that five-year deal. While the team insists it offered Thompson a two-year, $48MM contract extension during the summer of 2023, he and his camp didn’t believe that proposal was as concrete as it was portrayed, and he eventually felt as if the team “pushed (him) out in a strategic manner” during his 2024 free agency, per ESPN’s report.

Citing league sources, Slater and MacMahon report that Thompson would like to be playing for a contender, though he says he remains hopeful that can happen with the Mavericks. Asked about the possibility of eventually reuniting with the Warriors before he retires, Thompson was noncommittal, but one league source who spoke to ESPN believes Thompson would consider it if Stephen Curry pushed for it. “There’s no one that carries more weight with Klay than Steph,” that source said.

“It would be unbelievable,” Curry said when asked about the idea. “If that time comes and that conversation is had, of course I’m calling him and saying, ‘We want you back.’ And hopefully that would be a welcome message to him. But as we stand right now, that does seem like a far distant reality. But so did him leaving.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • Head coach Steve Kerr said earlier this week that the health issue affecting Al Horford (right sciatic nerve irritation) has healed. However, Horford told reporters today that he believes he’s still about a week away from returning to action as he progressing through his rehab process, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link).
  • The Warriors’ up and down play this season has resembled the pre-Jimmy Butler version of last year’s team. Unlike in 2024/25 though, Kerr doesn’t believe the front office needs to make a roster move to jump-start the team. “It feels similar in that we’re inconsistent,” Kerr said on Wednesday, according to Friedell. “We’re around .500, but I know that we have the answer here. Last year I felt like we had to make a move. This year I don’t think that’s the case. I think we have what we need here, but we need to develop more consistency in our play and that starts with me, giving these guys more consistent roles.”
  • Kerr added that there are “tricky” rotation decisions to make because he trusts so many of the players on the 18-man roster to play regular minutes. “I think we have 14, 15 guys who I feel very comfortable putting on the floor, but I also only feel comfortable playing 11 at the most each night, really 10,” Kerr said, per Friedell. “And so no matter how we slice it, I’m gonna come up here and you’re gonna ask me about three different guys and it’s fair because they can all play.”
  • One player who has fallen out of the rotation as of late is rookie Will Richard, who has been a DNP-CD in the Warriors’ past two games despite making 12 starts earlier this fall. “It’s been tough not playing him because I’m a huge fan and a believer,” Kerr said during a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (hat tip to NBC Sports Bay Area). “He offers us stability and decision-making, good shooting, so he’s just got to stay with it. Right now, frankly, he’s sitting because he’s a rookie and I’m honoring what the older guys have done over the years. I think that’s good for chemistry, I think this is kind of how it goes.”
  • Asked whether the Warriors would consider the idea of trading Butler or Draymond Green, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter audio link) didn’t rule out the possibility, but noted that Curry would have to be convinced it was the right move. “I would not say it’s impossible,” Poole said. “Right now it still seems improbable.” To this point, Butler or Green have only really come up in trade speculation involving Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Butler, Green, Lacob, Lineup, Horford, Spencer

After the Warriors fell below .500 on Sunday as a result of a 136-131 loss in Portland, head coach Steve Kerr took the blame for the loss and the 13-14 club’s recent struggles, writes ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

“I’m not doing my job well this year,” Kerr told reporters.

Stephen Curry scored 48 points in the loss, his second-highest total of the season. However, Golden State’s offense has struggled badly when the two-time MVP isn’t on the floor. The team has scored 118.8 points per 100 possessions when Curry is in the game, compared to just 107.1 when he’s not. The latter mark would be equivalent to the worst offense in the NBA.

As Slater notes, Kerr singled out one sequence in Sunday’s game when Curry wasn’t on the floor and star swingman Jimmy Butler didn’t touch the ball for four consecutive possessions.

“That’s on me,” Kerr said. “But that’s also on our players to understand. I can’t call a play every time. Nor do I want to. We have to find a way in collaboration to make sure we are playing through Jimmy.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • Nick Friedell of The Athletic suggests that the Warriors need more aggression from Butler, whose 11.4 shot attempts per game this season are well below the 14.5 per game he averaged from 2014-24. Draymond Green didn’t disagree with that sentiment, though he also suggested he needs to do more to get Butler involved in the offense. “I think I got to do a better job of knowing, paying attention to the flow of the game, when he hasn’t touched the ball.” Green said. “When he hasn’t touched the ball for multiple possessions, getting him a touch and making sure he’s in the flow. … And then, as I do a better job of that, I also need Jimmy to be more aggressive and demonstrative and go take the ball. Or come get the ball. And say exactly where he want the ball.”
  • As Alex Simon of SFGate.com writes, a Warriors fan who wrote an email to Joe Lacob to express his frustrations with the team and with Golden State’s usage of Butler got a candid and near-instant response from the team owner. “You can’t be as frustrated as me,” Lacob wrote in his reply to the fan. “I am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.” Asked on Tuesday about the leaked email, Kerr indicated he wasn’t bothered by Lacob’s reference to “coaches’ desires regarding players,” according to Slater. “Not a big deal,” Kerr said. “… We’re all frustrated. Joe is frustrated. I’m frustrated. Steph and (Green), everybody’s frustrated. … Joe supports me 100 percent. I support him. We have a great connection. We’ve had so much continuity here. Our stable environment in our organization is one of our strengths.”
  • Seeking more continuity, Kerr said on Tuesday that he intends to keep using his current starting lineup – Curry, Butler, Green, Moses Moody, and Quinten Post – for the foreseeable future, barring an injury, tweets Slater.
  • The health issue that has sidelined Al Horford for eight of the past nine games (right sciatic nerve irritation) has healed, Kerr said on Tuesday. The veteran big man is still considered doubtful to play on Thursday vs. Phoenix, but he’s nearing a return (Twitter link via Slater).
  • Two-way player Pat Spencer will miss Thursday’s game for personal reasons, as Marc Stein tweets. Spencer has been active for each of Golden State’s 27 games so far and is already more than halfway to his 50-game limit. Any game he misses will give the Warriors a little extra time later in the season to convert him to a standard contract in order to keep him active.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Kuminga, Backcourt, Green

Stephen Curry showed no effects from the quad injury that sidelined him for five games as he returned to the court Friday night, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. Even though the Warriors lost to Minnesota, Curry gave the offense a much-needed lift with 39 points in 32 minutes while making 14 of his 28 shots from the field.

“Started to feel normal again,” he said. “So individually, it was a good first game back just to get my lungs back and feel like myself.”

Curry came out firing, taking six shots and scoring 10 points during his eight-minute stint in the first quarter. He also helped to erase a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter with 14 points, including a trio of three-pointers. He didn’t travel with the team on its three-game road trip, staying in San Francisco to get treatment on the injury and participate in a Wednesday night scrimmage.

“He looked great,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Just the movement, the flow. I asked him how he was feeling after the first eight-minute run in the first quarter, and he said, ‘I feel great.'”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Curry responded to questions this week about Jonathan Kuminga, who hasn’t played in the past two games after being pulled from the rotation, relays Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Curry expressed support for the young forward, stating that he’ll likely get another chance to contribute before long. “We still have high hopes that he’ll impact our team this year,” Curry said. “But it’s just an idea you can’t lose your spirit when things aren’t going your way, because you’re a game or two away from it coming right back to you. And if you’ve checked out, or if you’re still not engaged in the learning process, then you might miss your moment on the back end. So it is a back-and-forth, and it’s the responsibility of both sides. As a team, it’s our job to support him because we know he’s a great dude, a very talented player, (and) we still have belief that he can help us.”
  • Curry’s return creates a crowded situation in the Golden State backcourt, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). The team has nine guards on its roster, and the availability of De’Anthony Melton, who made his season debut last Thursday, along with the emergence of Pat Spencer will lead to some difficult decisions regarding playing time. “We have a lot of guys now and it’s a great problem to have but it’s not an easy problem to solve, because I also would say there’s not a ton of separation between our players,” Kerr said. “… You always like to have a set rotation, but we’ll just have to see how it plays out.”
  • Draymond Green will rejoin the team Sunday in Portland, but it hasn’t been determined if he’s going to play, according to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green has missed the past three games for personal reasons, and Kerr told reporters that the right mid-foot sprain he aggravated last week has healed. “It’s just a question of whether (director of sports medicine and performance) Rick (Celebrini) feels comfortable putting him out there,” Kerr said. “So, he’ll meet us in Portland and we’ll assess him there.”

Injury Notes: Curry, Green, Johnson, Morant, Booker, Green, Gafford, Williams, Poole

Good news for the Warriors. Stephen Curry is no longer on the injury report, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Curry hasn’t played since Nov. 26 due to a quad injury.

The future Hall of Famer will suit up against the Timberwolves on Friday but two Golden State frontcourt players won’t be available. Draymond Green will miss the game for personal reasons, while Al Horford continues to be sidelined by a nerve issue in his back.

Here’s more injury-related news:

  • The Wizards list four prominent players — Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Alex Sarr and Khris Middleton — as out for their game against Cleveland on Friday (Twitter link). However, one key player isn’t on the injury report. Lottery pick Tre Johnson, who has been sidelined since Nov. 21 due to a hip flexor, is expected to suit up.
  • The Grizzlies list seven players as out for their against Utah on Friday. Star guard Ja Morant isn’t one of them. Morant is considered questionable to play. A right calf strain has sidelined him since Nov. 15.
  • Suns star guard Devin Booker will return either Sunday against the Lakers or next Thursday against the Warriors, according to Arizona radio host John Gambadoro (Twitter link). Booker hasn’t played since Dec. 1 due to a groin injury. Jalen Green, who has only played two games this season due to a hamstring strain, is tracking toward a return just after Christmas, Gambadoro adds.
  • The Mavericks list big man Daniel Gafford as doubtful to play against Brooklyn on Friday due to right ankle injury management, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets.
  • The Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams (illness) and Yang Hansen (facial contusion) won’t play against New Orleans tonight, the team’s PR department tweets. Both players were originally listed as questionable.
  • Jordan Poole is available to play for the Pelicans tonight, the team’s PR department tweets. He has been out since Nov. 4 due to a left quad strain.

Warriors Notes: Horford, Green, Curry, Richard, A. Davis

Al Horford was excited about the opportunity to join the Warriors, but his first few weeks with the team haven’t worked out as planned. The veteran center has only been available for 13 of Golden State’s first 23 games and is averaging 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per night. He admits to Nick Friedell of The Athletic that he’s disappointed with his performance so far.

“I’m not where I want to be,” Horford said. “I would say I haven’t been very good. I understand that there’s a lot of work ahead of me, there’s more that I need to do, and I need to be better, and I feel like I will. But right now, I’m not where I want to be.”

Injuries have played a part in Horford’s early-season frustrations, as he just returned Thursday after missing about two weeks with sciatica. Golden State isn’t using him in both ends of back-to-backs, just like Boston’s policy over the past two years, to avoid putting too much strain on his body during the long season. After playing 18 minutes on Thursday at Philadelphia, Horford said he believes he’s making progress physically.

“I felt pretty good tonight,” he said. “Obviously, not playing or anything, that’s always challenging, so trying to get my legs back under me, but it’s just nice to get back on the floor. Things didn’t go our way tonight, the game didn’t go our way, I’m still trying to find myself as well, but I was encouraged with some of the things tonight.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Horford will miss Saturday’s game at Cleveland as part of a lengthy injured list that also includes Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Seth Curry and De’Anthony Melton, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). He adds that there’s optimism about Green, who injured his right foot during Thursday’s game and left the arena in a walking boot. Slater states that Green was able to do some shooting on his own after this morning’s shootaround (Twitter link).
  • Coach Steve Kerr said Stephen Curry is making progress in his recovery from a thigh contusion and “it’s realistic” that he could return Friday against Minnesota (Twitter link).
  • At 22, Will Richard was viewed as old for a prospect heading into this year’s draft, but he believes he benefited from playing four seasons in college, writes Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints. Richard has been a surprise contributor for Golden State after being selected with the 56th pick. “I feel like those four years at Florida helped me out with my experience,” he said. “I feel like it helped me adjust much quicker than if I were an 18-year-old freshman or something like that. So no knock to the guys that get drafted who are younger than me. … I know my journey is different from everyone else, so I’m happy how it went.”
  • Rumors that the Warriors are among the teams pursuing Mavericks big man Anthony Davis are untrue, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who tweets that Golden State hasn’t contacted Dallas about a potential deal and doesn’t plan to during the season.

Siegel’s Latest: H. Jones, Poole, Pacers, Warriors, Cavs, Heat

The Pelicans have long signaled that forward Herbert Jones is off limits in trade talks, and that stance didn’t change when Joe Dumars was hired to run the front office in the spring, writes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

However, according to Siegel, with the Pelicans off to a miserable 3-20 start to the season and Dumars seemingly becoming more open to the idea of major changes, the odds of a deal involving Jones have grown “exponentially” in recent months. After signing a contract extension in July, Jones isn’t currently eligible to be traded, but that will restriction will lift on January 14, a few weeks before this season’s deadline.

Jordan Poole‘s status with the Pelicans will also be worth monitoring this winter, Siegel writes, pointing out that Jeremiah Fears‘ emergence as Dejounte Murray‘s potential return in the new year are factors that could make Poole expendable.

After being acquired by the Pelicans in the offseason, Poole got off to a shaky start this fall and has missed the past month with a quad strain. The 26-year-old also doesn’t have an especially team-friendly contract — he’s owed $31.8MM this season and $34MM next season – so his value would probably be pretty limited.

Here are a few more items of interest from Siegel’s latest round-up of rumors from across the NBA:

  • While Pacers role players like T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard have drawn plenty of interest in recent years, Indiana is unlikely to make major changes to its roster this season, since the team believes it can be a contender again in 2026/27 with Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup, according to Siegel. If the Pacers do make an in-season move, Bennedict Mathurin is considered their most likely trade candidate, Siegel adds, since he’s on an expiring contract and is eligible for restricted free agency over the summer.
  • Siegel believes that if Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade and the Warriors make an offer, it’s more likely to be centered around Jimmy Butler than Draymond Green. According to Siegel, trading Green is “not something the Warriors plan on doing,” given his long-time importance to the organization.
  • Teams around the league are keeping a close eye on the Cavaliers, who are off to an underwhelming 13-10 start, with rival executives wondering if the team might listen to inquires on starting center Jarrett Allen, per Siegel. Allen is earning $20MM this season before his three-year, $90.7MM extension begins in July.
  • Viewed entering the season as possible deadline sellers, the 14-8 Heat are now widely viewed as more likely to be buyers, with forward Andrew Wiggins considered unlikely to be moved unless it’s in a deal that upgrades Miami’s roster, says Siegel.

Fischer’s Latest: Giannis, Knicks, Nets, Hawks, Spurs, Warriors

When the Bucks briefly explored the possibility of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade over the summer, the Knicks were the only team they spoke to, with the star forward having reportedly expressed some interest in the idea of playing in New York.

Given Antetokounmpo’s apparent affinity for the Big Apple, the Nets have long believed they could have a real shot at winning the Giannis sweepstakes if he ever ends up on the trade block, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, according to Fischer, while the Knicks continue to be viewed as a credible threat to land the two-time MVP, Brooklyn is no longer being described in the same terms.

As Fischer explains, the Nets are prioritizing a high pick in the 2026 draft in the hopes of landing a young franchise player to build around, and don’t have the sort of championship-caliber roster that Antetokounmpo would be seeking in the event that he requests a trade.

The Knicks, conversely, have a roster better equipped to contend with Giannis, but may lack the assets to sell Milwaukee on a deal. For what it’s worth, Fischer hears from multiple sources that Antetokounmpo told at least one Bucks teammate during the offseason that he thought a deal with the Knicks was close to happening, though multiple reports have indicated that the two teams didn’t gain real traction in their discussions.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Hawks could make a compelling offer for Antetokounmpo by offering the 2026 first-round pick they acquired from New Orleans back in June. If the Bucks were to acquire that pick, they’d control both their own and the Pelicans’ first-rounders in the upcoming draft. Fischer says he has been repeatedly – and “quite strongly” – told since the start of the season that Atlanta won’t trade that “most favorable” first-rounder, which could end up with the best odds to be No. 1 overall, but he believes the Hawks’ front office would have to at least consider the idea if it meant adding a superstar like Giannis.
  • The Spurs have talked to Antetokounmpo’s U.S.-based agent Alex Saratsis multiple times over the years about the possibility of joining their front office, sources tell Fischer. Despite that link between the two parties, Fischer says there’s no guarantee San Antonio would be a major player in the Giannis sweepstakes if he seeks a deal, noting that the Spurs have thus far been unwilling to consider moving either Dylan Harper or Stephon Castle, even for Antetokounmpo.
  • During past trade discussions for other players, the Warriors have “never been close” to putting both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski in the same package, Fischer writes. They also have never seriously entertained any scenario in which they trade Draymond Green. However, Fischer thinks the club would be open to reconsidering both of those possibilities if Antetokounmpo is on the table.

Warriors Notes: Butler, Melton, Horford, Draymond, Spencer

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said prior to Thursday’s game in Philadelphia that Jimmy Butler underwent an MRI on his sore left knee, according Nick Friedell of The Athletic.

As Friedell writes, while the team doesn’t seem overly concerned about Butler’s knee, it remains to be seen when the 36-year-old forward will return to action — he missed the second half of Tuesday’s loss to Okalahoma City after experiencing the injury and was out Thursday as well.

Golden State has a road back-to-back this weekend, but then has four days off before its next game on December 12, which will likely be Stephen Curry‘s target return date.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • De’Anthony Melton gave the Warriors a spark off the bench on Thurday in his season debut, recording 14 points, three assists, two steals and a block in 21 minutes of action. Kerr said before the game that Melton, who had been recovering from an ACL tear, would be on a restriction of approximately 20 minutes, per Friedell. “It’s been a long time since he’s played in an NBA game, so this is about getting his feet wet, finding a comfort zone out on the floor,” Kerr said. “You can scrimmage all you want, but it’s not like being in an NBA game. So I’m excited to get him back. He’s a hell of a player and he’s worked really hard in his rehab to get himself back to this point.”
  • After missing the past four games with sciatica, Al Horford was active against his former team on Thursday and wound up making his first start of the season, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. While the 39-year-old big man struggled with his shot again, going 1-for-8 from the field (1-of-7 from long distance), he did chip in six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block, and the team was plus-three in his 18 minutes.
  • Forward/center Draymond Green injured his right foot late in the second quarter during Thursday’s one-point loss after Dominick Barlow fell on it (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area). The Warriors quickly ruled Green out at halftime, and while the former Defensive Player of the Year was in a walking boot in the locker room, he told Slater that he wants and expects to keep playing through the pain. Green sprained the same foot a couple weeks ago when Donovan Clingan landed on it, Slater notes.
  • Golden State is now below .500 for the first time this season after dropping Thursday’s game, Slater adds. The Warriors, who are 11-12, mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 26, only to see the bid fall short in the closing seconds of a chaotic and entertaining ending.
  • One bright spot on Thursday was third-year guard Pat Spencer, who is on a two-way contract. He was instrumental in the comeback, recording 16 points (on 5-of-8 shooting), four rebounds and four assists, with the Warriors outscoring the 76ers by 16 points in his 24 minutes. After the game, Kerr said he’s hoping to see Spencer get promoted to a standard contract at some point — the 29-year-old has been active for all 23 games this season and can be available for up to 50 contests, as Slater relays (Twitter video link). “It would be great to find a way to get him on the (standard) roster,” Kerr said. Still, Kerr acknowledged it would be “tricky” to convert Spencer — the standard roster is now full after Golden State signed Seth Curry, and the team is operating only about $264K below its hard cap.

Stephen Curry To Miss Multiple Games With Quad Injury

2:57 pm: The Warriors have confirmed that Curry has a quad contusion and muscle strain, announcing (via Twitter) that he’ll be reevaluated in one week.


10:46 am: The Warriors expect Curry will miss about a week “or a little more,” sources tell Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The sense is that Curry has avoided a serious injury, but his return will depend on how the quad responds to treatment, Charania adds.

Based on that timeline, Curry figures to miss Saturday’s game vs. New Orleans and Tuesday’s matchup with Oklahoma City, but should have a chance to return during a three-game road trip that begins next Thursday in Philadelphia.


7:52 am: After checking out of Wednesday’s game vs. Houston and limping to the locker room with 35 seconds remaining, Warriors star Stephen Curry has received an initial diagnosis of a right quad contusion, writes ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

Curry will undergo an MRI to confirm whether that diagnosis is accurate and to determine the severity of the injury.

The two-time MVP was in clear pain after a pair of fourth-quarter collisions, Slater notes. Curry was knocked to the floor while defending Amen Thompson with 3:24 left in the game (video link via NBA.com), then ended up on the court again less than a minute later when he drove to the basket and was called for an offensive foul (video link).

Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game that he was relieved the injury was to Curry’s quad rather than “an ankle or a knee,” but he admitted that it would present a challenge for the Warriors if their leading scorer has to sit out at all. And according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, the sense in the locker room was that the injury will likely cost Curry at least a couple games.

“If Steph has to miss [time]?” Kerr said, per Slater. “It obviously changes everything — our rotations, how we’re playing, who we are playing through. We’ll see.”

Curry was one of two guards who exited Wednesday’s game early due to an injury. The Warriors announced during the second half that Gary Payton II, who played five minutes in the first two quarters, wouldn’t return to action due to a sprained left ankle.

The Rockets ended up pulling out a 104-100 victory, with the Warriors falling to .500 (10-10) as a result of a fourth loss in their past five games. Veterans Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expressed frustration in their post-game media sessions with the way the team has been playing, especially on defense.

“We don’t box out,” Butler said (Twitter video link via Slater). “We don’t go with the scouting report. We let anybody do whatever they want — open shots, get into the paint, free throws. It’s just sad. … A lot of our hustle is dictated upon our offense. When we’re making shots, oh man, we’re celebrating, we’re cheering, doing all of those things. When we’re not or when the game’s not going our way, we put our head down and we mope and then we don’t box out, we don’t get back, we foul. We do all the bad things.”

When informed of Butler’s criticism of the defense, Green interjected to reply, “Our defense is s–t,” despite the fact that the Warriors technically rank in the top 10 in defensive rating.

“It’s not necessarily the numbers,” Green said (Twitter video link). “How do you feel when you out there? It’s just letdown after letdown. It’s bigger than the numbers. Defense is about demeanor. If there’s letdown, it kills your demeanor, it kills your bravado. Then you’re just a soft team.

“… It requires individuals – all of us as individuals – to take on your challenge,” Green continued. “If you take on your challenge, then we can make the team thing work. The only way the team’s going to work is if we take on individual challenges. We are individually – I know everybody likes to twist words – I said WE are individually f—ing awful.”