Warriors Notes: Podziemski, Porzingis, Moody, Curry
The Warriors have needed contributions throughout the roster while their stars are sidelined, and Brandin Podziemski delivered in a big way on Sunday, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis all unavailable, Podziemski took over in the fourth quarter against Denver, posting 15 points and eight rebounds in the final 12 minutes while making all six of his shot attempts.
“Everything feels slow motion, kind of,” he said. “I think those last two threes that I shot, everything felt so slow … the goal is to always try to find that. The great players do that. That’s really what it felt like.”
Podziemski’s outburst, which came after he missed nine of his first 10 shots, summarized his overall season. The third-year guard has seen his minutes fluctuate and he’s been a frequent target of online criticism from the Warriors’ fan base, but he’s become a reliable scorer while Curry has been injured, reaching double figures in the past five games.
“It’s been up and down for sure,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But our season has been up and down as a whole, and sometimes a team’s struggles impacts the individuals. But we know what he can do — for the last couple years, he’s been one of our highest plus/minus players. He’s a very versatile player. The rebounding is what attracted us to him in the first place, coming out of Santa Clara. When a guy rebounds like that, you know he has great anticipation.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Golden State is receiving its first taste of the Porzingis experience as he was a late scratch on Sunday, states Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kerr was counting on Porzingis to help neutralize Nikola Jokic, but an illness kept him out of action and Green was ruled out about 20 minutes before tip-off with lower back soreness. Porzingis, who was acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline, has been a highly skilled big man throughout his career, but his availability has been limited due to physical issues so Poole suggests Kerr may have to get used to making lineup adjustments. “I haven’t talked to him,” Kerr said in his pregame meeting with reporters. “Just got a text this morning that he was sick and at the hotel, and he’s not even going to come over here. He’s pretty sick.”
- The Warriors have benefited from the improved play of Moses Moody, who contributed 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists on Sunday, per Joaquin Ruiz of NBC Sports Bay Area. Already one of the team’s top perimeter defenders, Moody has been providing more scoring of late, averaging 13.1 PPG since the start of January. “Moses has been brilliant for six weeks,” Kerr said. “You know, he’s shooting the lights out … the confidence; he’s maybe been our most consistent performer. His on-ball defense; he’s top of the league against pick-and-roll. And he’s such a great teammate. He’s there for you every night, the way he works.”
- Curry, who hasn’t played since January 30 due to “runner’s knee,” said the injury has been especially frustrating because there’s still no definite timeline for him to return, relays Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). He’s set to be reevaluated on March 1, so that means at least another week without playing. “We all know the goal is to be healthy come play-in or playoff time, whatever it is,” Curry said. “We kind of know where we’re slotted in the standings right now. A lot has happened this year, so we just want to get in a playoff series and have a chance.”
Warriors Notes: Curry, Kerr, Draymond, Porzingis
The Warriors have no plans to shut down Stephen Curry for the remainder of the season, head coach Steve Kerr said Friday on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show (YouTube link). The superstar guard continues to deal with patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) in his right knee and is out at least one more week.
“We’re not going to do anything silly, obviously,” Kerr said (story via Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area). “We are protecting him. But as soon as he’s healthy, he’s going to play. That’s what this is about. We have lots to play for. We’re right in the mix in the playoffs.
“This is an injury that’s been nagging. It’s not like this is something that’s going to hurt him next year if we put him out there now. It’s just injury management. As soon as he’s healthy and ready to go, he’ll be out there.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Curry told Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area that while he’s frustrated with his knee issue, he’s focused on returning “as fast as possible.” “The goal is to be healthy come playoff time and be available when it matters most,” Curry said (Twitter video link). “Obviously, I’d love to be playing right now. If you’re healthy, you’re able to play. I’m headed in the right direction and hopefully it won’t be too much longer.”
- Draymond Green struggled mightily in Thursday’s loss to Boston, missing all seven of his field goal attempts and finishing with zero points, three assists and two rebounds. The nine-time All-Defensive member was minus-28 in 18 minutes. Kerr said the onus is on him and his coaching staff to figure out ways to help Green with Curry out, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “I’ve got to do a better job of helping Draymond,” Kerr said after Friday’s practice. “The game is so different without Steph. Those two guys have built such a rapport for 14 years now. They’ve been playing together, and for sure, in my 12 (years), the two-man game with those two guys has been our bread and butter. When Steph goes out, it really changes everything in terms of how defenses guard us, and it impacts Draymond probably more than anybody.”
- Trade deadline acquisition Kristaps Porzingis was a little rusty in his Warriors debut on Thursday, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN, but his overall performance was encouraging and he’s eager to play more minutes after logging 17 in the defeat. “Even tonight, I would’ve liked to go longer,” Porzingis said. “Even if I’m exhausted out there, I still want to push myself. But I know I have to take it step by step. Add a couple minutes next game hopefully.” The Latvian big man will get his wish, Friedell tweets — Kerr said Porzingis will play “a few more minutes” in Sunday’s contest vs. Denver.
Stephen Curry Out At Least Five More Games Due To Knee Injury
Superstar guard Stephen Curry underwent an MRI on Wednesday night, which confirmed he has patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee and revealed no structural damage, according to the Warriors (Twitter link).
Curry will miss at least five more games, as he will be reevaluated in 10 days, per the team.
The injury update on Curry, who has been sidelined for Golden State’s last five games due to the right knee issue, was first reported by Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN.
Head coach Steve Kerr said yesterday that Curry was unable to scrimmage on Wednesday as he continues to deal with pain in his right knee. According to Slater and Charania, Curry’s knee has been bothering him after individual workouts.
“It’s just lingering soreness.” Kerr said before Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics. “We were hoping he’d be ready for tonight, but it wasn’t the case. He just needs more time.”
As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, the two-time MVP will be ineligible for major postseason awards due to the nagging injury, which is also known as runner’s knee. Curry has already missed 15 games this season and his continued absence will put him up to at least 20 — players can only miss 17 games to remain eligible for All-NBA and other honors.
Curry, who made 11 All-NBA teams in the 12 years leading up to this season, would have been a strong contender for that distinction again. The four-time champion remains highly productive at age 37 (he turns 38 next month), averaging 27.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .468/.391/.931 shooting in 39 games (31.3 MPG).
In other Warriors news, trade acquisition Kristaps Porzingis is expected to make his debut for Golden State on Thursday, Slater tweets. The 30-year-old big man will be on a restriction of approximately 15-to-20 minutes and will come off the bench.
Porzingis went through Wednesday’s practice and impressed his former Celtics teammate.
“Looked great,” Al Horford said (Twitter video link via Slater). “Thought his timing was good, overall energy.”
Warriors Notes: Stephen Curry, Porzingis, Seth Curry, Schedule
Stephen Curry won’t be available when the Warriors resume their season Thursday against Boston, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Curry wasn’t able to participate in Wednesday’s practice and would be reevaluated by the training staff later in the day.
Curry has been sidelined since January 30 with patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is also known as runner’s knee. He was forced to withdraw from the All-Star Game, but there was hope that the week off might provide enough healing to get him back on the court.
Kerr said Curry may have to undergo another MRI to determine what’s causing the lingering pain in his knee, Friedell adds (Twitter link). Curry told Kerr that something in the knee still doesn’t feel right and he wasn’t ready to try a full workout.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Kristaps Porzingis was able to participate in a scrimmage on Wednesday, which means his Golden State debut could come against the Celtics, notes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). Porzingis played an important role on Boston’s 2024 championship team, but he was traded to Atlanta last summer in a cost-cutting move. “It’s gonna be weird, especially first game back against Boston,” he said. “It’s gonna be cool, seeing all the guys again.”
- The final two months of the season will help shape the Warriors’ roster for the future, Friedell observes in a full story. Porzingis will be a free agent this summer, but the team might be interested in a long-term deal if he proves to be a good fit. De’Anthony Melton is expected to decline his $3.5MM player option for next season and test the open market, according to Friedell, and Al Horford faces a decision on a nearly $6MM player option. Brandin Podziemski will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason, while Gui Santos and Pat Spencer are headed for restricted free agency.
- Seth Curry will be reevaluated in two weeks for a sciatic nerve-related injury, the Warriors announced (via Twitter). The team stated that he “continues to make good progress” and was able to intensify his on-court workouts over the past week, including live play. Curry, 35, has only been available for two games since joining the team on December 1.
- The Warriors have the seventh-easiest remaining schedule in the West and may be able to take advantage of some tanking teams over the rest of the season, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). He notes that 10 of their 27 games after the All-Star break are against teams that are “incentivized to lose.”
Southwest Notes: Durant, Plumlee, Sochan, Jackson
In his first media session since the All-Star game, Rockets star Kevin Durant immediately faced questions about rumors that went viral on social media over the weekend. Durant, who was accused of using a burner Twitter account to disparage current and former teammates in group chats, dismissed the speculation without explicitly denying that the account belonged to him, per Sam Amick and William Guillory of The Athletic and Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
“I know you gotta ask these questions, but I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense,” Durant said. “I’m just here to focus on the season, keep it pushing. But I get you all have to (ask).”
The account speculated to be Durant’s, which used the handle @GetHigher77, took shots at Suns guard Devin Booker, former Suns head coach Frank Vogel, Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr of the Warriors, and Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets, among others.
Asked if he’d spoken to his teammates about the rumors, Durant replied, “My teammates know what it is. We’ve been locked in the whole season. Enjoyed our break. Had a great practice today, looking forward to the road trip.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Although he officially signed a 10-day contract with the Spurs on Tuesday, it’s unclear when Mason Plumlee will be able to suit up for his new team. According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Mitch Johnson said that Plumlee – who underwent groin surgery at the end of December – won’t be active for the team’s games in Austin on Thursday or Saturday.
- Asked on Wednesday at his introductory press conference as a Knick what went wrong for him in San Antonio, former No. 9 overall pick Jeremy Sochan suggested he got “no real opportunity” with the Spurs under Johnson, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). “It is what it is. It’s a deep team,” he said. “Maybe I didn’t see eye-to-eye with Coach. I’m just blessed to be somewhere to grow.”
- Chiding from teammate Scotty Pippen Jr. prompted Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II to adopt a more aggressive attitude on the court, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes in a subscriber-only story. In his third NBA season, Jackson has become a more efficient scorer and a reliable presence on defense, but it took a push from Pippen and other veterans to get him there. “I would see him in practice and he would be one of the most athletic guys in the gym, then he would get in the game and wouldn’t even dunk or he would only dunk on fast breaks,” Pippen said. “I’m excited every time I see him dunk and play physical because now guys are starting to get out of the way, or he’s dunking on them.”
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
LeBron James Discusses Past, Lakers’ Present, Future
LeBron James spoke about a range of topics on All-Star Sunday, reflecting on his journey over the years, the Lakers‘ status this season, and his future.
The 21-time All-Star was particularly sentimental when it came to discussing his time spent playing with and competing against Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Joaquin Ruiz writes for NBC Sports.
“It’s always a pleasure and an honor to see those guys,” James said. “We’ve had so much of an unbelievable journey throughout our individual careers… When it comes to me, Steph, and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers, for sure. And it’s been great to be able to have some moments with those guys, versus those guys, teaming up with those guys.”
Although Curry sat out the All-Star game with a knee injury, James and Durant helped take their team to the All-Star championship game, losing to the younger American stars led by Anthony Edwards.
Discussing the Lakers’ rest-of-season outlook, James was hesitant to project how the team will play at full strength.
“It’s hard to say [what the team is capable of accomplishing] because this is a new group,” James said, per Athlon’s Mark Medina (Twitter video link). “… It’s too hard to really say what we’re really capable of. I know that when we’ve played some of our best basketball this season, we’ve looked really good. On the other side, when we’ve been terrible, we’ve looked disgusting. So I think the most important is like, if we can get healthy, how many minutes we can be on the floor, how much chemistry we can build with the sprint starting.”
He added that the regular season is meant for playoff teams to build chemistry, and he’s hopeful that the Lakers can get healthy enough to start doing that while integrating the newly acquired Luke Kennard into the mix.
As for his plans for the 2026/27 season, James remained noncommittal, Dan Woike writes for The Athletic.
“When I know, you guys will know,” he said. “I don’t know. I have no idea. Just want to, just wanna live. That’s all.”
He added that his upcoming free agency doesn’t impact his approach or thinking about what the future will bring.
“It has nothing to do with that,” James said. “Same motivation, same mind factor. Just, we’ve got past the marathon, and now the sprint is about to start.”
All-Star Notes: Richardson, Curry, Brown, Johnson
Jase Richardson says that he’s okay after suffering a bad fall while representing the Magic for the 2026 Dunk Contest.
“I’m good,” he said, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “I tried to go do a little 360 off the side of the glass, (but) my arm got caught on the side of the backboard.”
Richardson was eliminated in the first round after his backup dunk was given a 43.4 composite score.
“After taking a fall like that, I just had to move on from that dunk,” Richardson said. “It is what it is.”
Richardson took to social media after the contest to share a clip of how he intended the uncompleted dunk to look (Twitter video link).
Richardson had turned to his father, two-time Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson, to help with his preparation for the event, Kurt Helin writes for NBC Sports, though Jase resisted wearing his father’s jersey during the event, wanting to forge his own path, according to Beede.
“I just wanted to do the contest and try to make it my own thing instead of everything having to do with my father,” the younger Richardson said.
We have more from around the All-Star festivities:
- Stephen Curry would like to return to the three-point contest next season, writes Taylor Wirth for NBC Sports, especially after Damian Lillard won for a third time this year — the Warriors star only has two three-point championships to his name. “I already scheduled it,” Curry said. “We’re going to bring some people: Me, Dame, I’m going to try and get Klay [Thompson].”
- Jaylen Brown is one player in favor of bringing a 1-on-1 competition to All-Star weekend, per ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill (via Twitter). “I’m actually a big fan,” the Celtics‘ All-Star said. “It’s the purity of the game. I would love to challenge some people here. Like Luka [Doncic], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Donovan [Mitchell]. We could donate to charity. Set it up.” The idea of a 1-on-1 tournament has been a popular discussion topic this weekend following the success of the women’s league Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament, which was won by Aces guard Chelsea Gray.
- Keshad Johnson‘s journey from undrafted player to slam dunk contest champion for the Heat has given him a sense of gratitude, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I beat the odds. I made it. I made it into the NBA,” he said. “I dreamed of every year I was watching the NBA dunk contest, I dreamed of being out there, putting on a show for everybody… I learned from all the people that came before me, paying homage to them, and now I’m here.” Johnson said he was just excited to be able to introduce himself to the wider basketball world, both as a dunker and as a person. “Now they know who I am,” he said.
Warriors Rumors: Porzingis, Murphy, JJJ, Green, Kerr
Kristaps Porzingis is exactly the type of player the Warriors have wanted to add to their frontcourt for years, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says Golden State views the big man as a no-risk, potentially high-reward addition. Still, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Porzingis was something of a fall-back option for the Warriors, who pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo and several other impact players leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Warriors’ interest in Trey Murphy III has been well chronicled, and Siegel suggests Golden State was prepared to offer Kuminga, an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, and a lightly protected 2028 first-rounder for the Pelicans wing. However, sources tell ClutchPoints that New Orleans had set an asking price of at least three first-round picks for Murphy and wasn’t enthusiastic about Kuminga as a long-term building block.
The Warriors also spoke to the Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr., Siegel confirms, and would’ve done a package that included Kuminga, Hield, two first-round picks, and “some sort of swap.” But Siegel hears that Golden State was reluctant to include Moses Moody or far-off draft picks which Memphis would’ve valued more highly (since they’d likely land after Stephen Curry‘s retirement), so Utah was able to beat Golden State’s package for Jackson.
While Porzingis may not have been atop the Warriors’ wish list, the team is looking forward to seeing what he’ll bring to the table and there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to play in the first game after the All-Star break, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed today (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of The Athletic). Kerr told reporters that Porzingis did some three-on-three work on Tuesday and will play in short bursts once he’s activated.
For his part, Porzingis – who has been limited to 17 outings this season for injury/illness reasons – is optimistic about what the rest of the season holds for him and the Warriors.
“I think it’s a great, great opportunity to turn a new page,” Porziņgis said over the weekend, per Friedell. “From what I’ve seen, and the conversations I’ve had so far with the medical staff here, and the people that work here, I have to say I’m very surprised and very optimistic. I’m in really, really good hands, if not some of the best hands, and I think that will also add to what I already have in my mind. So, I look forward to really having a surprisingly good post All-Star break.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Interestingly, during his post-deadline media session, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. strongly pushed back against the idea that the team discussed Draymond Green in trade talks. “His name was not in conversations other than the ones where teams called me to ask about him,” Dunleavy said, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “The idea that he ‘stayed with the Warriors past the deadline’ was greatly exaggerated. It was never a possibility of him not being here or remotely close.” Multiple reporters – and Green himself – have suggested that the longtime Warrior would’ve almost certainly been included in a package for Antetokounmpo, so perhaps Dunleavy’s comments reflect a belief that the Giannis scenario never gained any traction.
- Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area passes along several more of Dunleavy’s remarks from Saturday’s media session, including the GM’s assertion that the Warriors remain well positioned to trade for an impact player going forward. “We’ve got the goods to make deals,” Dunleavy said. “I think the only way we wouldn’t be in the mix is if we gave out assets, young players, all the things you need to get a great player. We still have all that. I think that’s one of the reasons the KP trade is really good for us, similar to Jimmy last year. We don’t feel like we gave up a ton. We still have the kind of firepower to move forward and do more deals.”
- Checking in on Kerr’s future in Golden State, Siegel reports that the Warriors would like to keep the veteran head coach in his role as long as he wants and that the hope has always been that he and Curry will retire together. While a January report indicated that Kerr’s assistants have been operating as if 2025/26 will be his last year, Siegel doesn’t get the sense that the coaching staff is expecting that outcome.
- Hield was one of Green’s “favorite teammates of all time” and “left a mark” on the franchise, the former Defensive Player of the Year said on Saturday’s episode of The Draymond Green Show (hat tip to Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area). “To see him go, you feel the gap, you feel the hole, you feel it,” Green said. “It’s like I said before, it’s the s–ttiest part of the business.”
Stephen Curry To Miss All-Star Game Due To Knee Injury
A right knee injury will prevent Warriors superstar Stephen Curry from competing in the All-Star game, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Monday (story via Anthony Slater of ESPN).
Curry missed his fourth straight game on Monday due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, Slater notes. He will remain sidelined for Golden State’s final contest before the All-Star break (Wednesday vs. San Antonio).
The team is hopeful the 37-year-old guard will return to action on February 19 against Boston, the Warriors’ first game after the break, Slater adds.
Curry first experienced soreness in his right knee during an individual workout on Jan. 24. He attempted to play through the pain for a few games, but was forced to exit a Jan. 30 loss to Detroit after the issue flared up.
“It’s a matter of learning as I go what works rehab-wise,” Curry previously told Slater. “Because it’s still painful. You have to try to get rid of all the inflammation and pain. It’s something we still have to monitor and injury-manage, but it’s something where, if I come back too early, it could flare up.”
The All-Star game is technically a round-robin mini-tournament this year featuring three games. The NBA has yet to announce who will replace Curry on USA Stripes.
Curry will be the second All-Star to miss this weekend’s event. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out because of an abdominal strain; he was replaced by Alperen Sengun.
Warriors Notes: Green, Curry, Porzingis, Horford
Draymond Green had a conversation with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. about potentially being traded to Milwaukee as part of a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, writes Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green revealed Saturday on his podcast that Dunleavy sought his input on a couple of trades he was considering and was straightforward about the possibility that Green could wind up with the Bucks.
“And we talked for quite a while, and then he’s like, ‘And by the way, on the honest front, obviously, we spoke about Giannis,'” Green relayed. “‘We talked about what picks we’d send them. We haven’t talked about, really, the players that would go into the deal, but obviously, if we were to do a deal with Giannis, you or Jimmy (Butler) would have to be in the trade just to make it work.'”
Green has heard his name in rumors before, but said he felt like he might actually get traded this time. He held a long session with reporters after Tuesday’s game, just in case it was his final appearance in a Warriors uniform.
Green added that the talk with Dunleavy left him with a lot of questions.
“Future, uncertain, getting traded to Milwaukee,” he said. “If I’m getting traded to Milwaukee, am I staying in Milwaukee? If I’m not staying in Milwaukee, where am I going? If I’m only going there for half a season, is my family coming? What the hell is going on?”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry will miss his third straight game tonight with a knee injury, and coach Steve Kerr suggested that he might be held out through the All-Star break, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). Kerr said Curry is doubtful for Monday’s home contest with Memphis. The team’s final game before the break will be Wednesday against San Antonio.
- Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired from Atlanta on Thursday, will continue working out in San Francisco with a goal of debuting when the All-Star break ends, Slater adds (Twitter link). Porzingis is dealing with an Achilles issue and hasn’t played since January 7. He was surprised to be traded to Golden State, but called it “a great opportunity to turn a new page,” per Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In an interview with Friedell, Al Horford admits there was a lot of “tension” affecting the team in the days leading up to the trade deadline. “I feel like our guys, everybody tried to be professional and good, but I know that gets thrown around a lot, be professional and good, but there’s a human aspect to it, that it’s always difficult to deal with,” Horford said. “On some teams, you deal with it more than others, and this team we were all kind of up in the air. So it was very stressful here the last few days.”