Warriors Star Stephen Curry Targeting Sunday Return
April 1: The Warriors issued an update Wednesday on Curry’s condition (Twitter link), stating that he participated in in a five-on-five scrimmage on Tuesday and “continues to make progress in his return-to-play protocol.” He’s expected to take part in another scrimmage later this week before being reevaluated over the weekend.
March 31: Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is targeting Sunday’s game against the Rockets for his long-awaited return to action, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Nick Friedell report.
Curry has been out since January 30 due to patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) in his right knee. Curry, who went through his first full practice in two months on Tuesday, was scheduled to take part in five-on-five scrimmaging after practice. As long as he continues to progress, the tentative plan is for him to return against Houston.
“He went through a full practice, but it was very light,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We didn’t do anything live.”
A team source later told Amick and Friedell that Curry handled the scrimmage well, but his status will continue to be assessed daily. Curry has appeared in 39 games, averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists in 31.8 minutes per night.
Golden State has a back-to-back this Wednesday and Thursday. After Sunday’s contest, the team will have four regular season games remaining.
The Warriors are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, holding the last play-in spot. They’re a game-and-a-half behind the No. 9 Trail Blazers and three games behind the No. 8 Clippers.
Warriors forward Gui Santos said the team was excited to have Curry participate in practice.
“It’s amazing, man,” Santos said. “Just to have him out there with us, it’s always great. We have a lot more confidence when we have a guy like Steph on the court. There’s no doubt about it.”
Warriors Rumors: Kawhi, LeBron, Porzingis, Kerr, More
There’s a significant amount of curiosity around the NBA about what the Warriors will do this offseason, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
According to Stein, Golden State made a “determined trade run” for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the February 5 deadline. Los Angeles wasn’t interested in moving Leonard at the time, but the Warriors may revisit that concept this summer.
Rival teams also view the Warriors as “one of the few credible destinations” for Lakers star LeBron James, who will be a free agent this summer, Stein notes.
“It has some legs,” one league source told Stein.
League insiders had already been anticipating that the Warriors would re-sign Kristaps Porzingis this summer, per Stein, and that expectation has increased after the Latvian big man recently praised Rick Celebrini, Golden State’s director of sports medicine and performance.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Appearing on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Nick Friedell of The Athletic said he believes Porzingis will be on the roster in 2026/27. “I absolutely, as we’re sitting here right now, believe that Porzingis and the Warriors will work something out where we will see him again next season in a Warriors jersey,” Friedell said (hat tip to HoopsHype).
- Friedell also weighed in on the future of head coach Steve Kerr, whose contract expires after the season. “Stephen Curry wants Steve Kerr,” Friedell said (transcription via HoopsHype). “I’ve been asked repeatedly: ‘Do you think Steve’s coming back?’ I absolutely do because I think this team, especially because of what we’ve been talking about now tonight on this episode, they want to go for it. There’s not another person you’re going to plug in that’s going to take them to some other spot more than Steve Kerr. Plus the fact that Steph wants him and they have a partnership for all these years.“
- In a column for The San Francisco Standard, Kawakami argues the Warriors should pursue either Leonard or James this summer. Kawakami says there are rumblings that the NBA might void the final year of Leonard’s contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27, as part of the punishment for the ongoing investigation into the Clippers allegedly circumventing the salary cap to sign the 34-year-old forward. In Kawakami’s scenario, the Warriors would try to re-sign Draymond Green and Porzingis to two-year, $40MM contracts, which would open up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign either Leonard or James, assuming they’re open to taking a major pay cut (the MLE is projected to start at $15.05MM next season).
Pacific Notes: Green, Curry, Porzingis, Suns, Jackson
Draymond Green says longtime Warriors teammate Stephen Curry shouldn’t try to return this season if he has “an inkling of doubt” about the condition of his right knee, “but if he’s healthy and he can play” then Curry has Green’s full support as he works toward a comeback, Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story.
A report on Friday stated that Curry will be reevaluated in another week to see if his knee has progressed enough to make a return realistic. Green added that every player wants to excel in the postseason — the 38-year-old Curry may not have many more opportunities at this stage of his career.
“You just know he wants to play,” Green said. “He wants to be out there. … But I think where you get a little worried and you know he wants to come back and he hasn’t. That’s when you start looking at the clock tick … not from a standpoint of like, ‘Yo, when’s he coming back?’ But just like — I know he’s working to get back, and if not now, then what’s going on? I think you more so get a little worried but not from a standpoint of, ‘He’s going to save the day.’ (But) from a standpoint of like, ‘Oh, man. Your brother down. What the hell is going on?’”
Curry’s absence, combined with season-ending injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, have left the Warriors a shell of what they were earlier in the season. They’re currently 10th in the West at 36-38 and may have to win two games to advance out of the play-in tournament, but there’s still a glimmer of hope if Curry returns. In the meantime, Green has accepted the mantle of on-court leader.
“You just can’t be the guy that quits when it gets tough,” he said. “I’ve had some incredible years here. Been a part of some incredible teams. … When that stuff is happening, you want to be at the forefront of it. You want to embrace it, enjoy it, all those things. It’s great. But when it goes a little left, you can’t jump off the train. You can’t walk around and pout. You can’t throw in the towel — or what was everything you did before?”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kristaps Porzingis led the way with 28 points on Friday as the Warriors defeated Washington for their first three-game winning streak in more than two months. Porzingis was 5-of-11 from three-point range, even though he’s dealing with pain in his shooting wrist, Gordon adds in a separate story. “Honestly, it’s not feeling good,” Porzingis said after practice Thursday. “I kept shooting, except it goes in anyway. Once I get it right, right, you’re going to see — there’s a difference for sure.”
- Suns big man Oso Ighodaro credits “mental will” for helping him play every game so far this season, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Ighodaro worked to build up his body during the offseason in hopes of becoming the first Phoenix player to be active for all 82 games since Mikal Bridges. “The preparation I put into my body this summer and my preparation in the weight room,” Ighodaro said. “God willing I can continue it and continue to play every game this season.”
- Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams were both able to play five-on-five Saturday for the first time since being injured, Rankin tweets. Brooks has been sidelined since February 21 with a fracture in his left hand, and Williams has been out of action since March 3 with a third metatarsal stress reaction in his left foot. “Good start. Everything is headed in the right direction,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said.
- Clippers backup center Isaiah Jackson is questionable for Sunday’s game at Milwaukee due to a sprained right ankle, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Stephen Curry (Knee) To Be Reevaluated Next Week
7:50 pm: Head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that time is running out for Curry to return this season, per Slater (Twitter link).
“We’re not bringing him back (only) for the play-in game,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’d need to play some games. We need to give him a runway if this is going to work. And we are running out of games.”
Moses Moody also underwent surgery on Friday to repair his torn patellar tendon, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
6:54 pm: Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be reevaluated sometime next week as he continues to deal with a right knee injury, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
Golden State hosts Washington on Friday and plays at Denver on Sunday, and Curry will miss both of those contests. He has been out since January 30 due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, colloquially known as runner’s knee.
While Curry, who turned 38 years old this month, “continues to make good progress,” he still hasn’t participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage yet, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter). That’s supposed to happen in the “coming days,” per the Warriors.
Even though he’s been out for two months — he’ll be up to 25 consecutive absences after Sunday — Curry hasn’t given up hope on potentially returning this season, sources tell ESPN (Twitter link).
Following Sunday’s contest in Denver, Golden State returns home for a five-game stretch against four playoff teams. The Warriors’ final two games will be on the road (at Sacramento on April 10 and at LAC on April 12).
The Warriors also announced injury updates on Al Horford (right soleus strain), Seth Curry (left adductor strain) and Quinten Post (right foot soreness). Horford has begun light on-court workouts but is out at least one more week, while Seth Curry and Post are considered day-to-day.
Horford and the younger Curry brother have both missed the past seven games due to their respective injuries, while second-year big man Post has been out for the past two contests.
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Melton, Santos, More
Veteran center Kristaps Porzingis will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, the Warriors have been using the past several weeks to evaluate the Latvian big man, while Porzingis has been considering whether he’d like to remain with the team beyond this season.
According to Poole, early indications suggest Porzingis has enjoyed his time with the organization — he has particularly singled out Rick Celebrini, Golden State’s director of sports medicine and performance. That’s noteworthy, given all of Porzingis health issues the past couple years and throughout his career.
“Rick’s amazing,” Porzingis said Thursday after practice. “Rick is the GOAT, man. Really. I’m very happy with these guys, and I’m sure they will keep me on the same path.”
Porzingis has appeared in seven of the Warriors’ last nine games and thinks he’s trending toward being able to play in back-to-backs, Poole notes. The team has two back-to-backs (April 1-2 and April 9-10) remaining this season.
“I think it’s a conversation,” Porzingis said. “I don’t know yet if I will get the chance, but maybe. Maybe. Doing pretty good and recovering well. I’m still not playing super-high minutes, obviously, but the better I feel, the better I start to look. I’ll probably earn more minutes and then probably after that, the next step is to get a chance on a back-to-back. That’s what I’m working towards.”
Porzingis has also spoken glowingly about the chance to play with Stephen Curry, Poole adds, but that has yet to come to fruition due to the 12-time All-Star guard’s ongoing knee injury, which has kept him sidelined since late January.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- De’Anthony Melton is another potential free agent — he holds a $3.5MM player option for next season. The 27-year-old combo guard suggested on Thursday that he’s likely to turn down that option, as Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “I’ve been in this league a decent amount of time,” Melton said on 95.7 The Game’s Steiny and Guru show. “So, eight years is a lot of time. I’ve put in a lot of time and effort and work into this. I think that should be rewarded and I think, for anybody, you put in that much time, effort, work and you’ve seen the results and you’ve seen how impactful you are and what you have done, like I said, you want to be rewarded for that. So, whatever comes with it, comes with it, but end of the day you want to get rewarded for your services.” The Warriors will only have Melton’s Non-Bird rights, which could make it difficult for the team to re-sign him.
- Gui Santos‘ importance to the Warriors increased when Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in January. The Brazilian forward has become even more vital in the wake of Moses Moody‘s torn patellar tendon, as Santos is the only real wing left on Golden State’s roster, observes Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard. The 23-year-old, who scored a career-high 31 points in Wednesday’s win over Brooklyn, is looking like a bargain on the three-year, $15MM extension he signed at the end of February, says Emerman.
- Getting to the free throw line more often will be important down the stretch with the Warriors shorthanded, and Porzingis can help in that area with his ability to post up smaller defenders, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It does slow the game down. But sometimes that’s what we need, especially with me on the floor,” Porzingis said. “I feel like that’s an advantage we can get, we can generate.”
Warriors Notes: Moody, Santos, Williams, Curry
As devastating as Moses Moody‘s knee injury earlier this week was, there was at least one silver lining, head coach Steve Kerr said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game’s ‘Willard & Dibs’ show (Twitter video link). In some instances, a player who suffers a torn patellar tendon also sustains damage to other parts of the knee, including ligaments like the ACL or MCL, but that wasn’t the case for Moody.
“The MRI was clean in terms of all that other stuff,” Kerr said (hat tip to Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area). “It’s the tendon, so no damage to the cartilage and bone, so that’s good news. And that allows it for a pretty basic surgery.”
Moody is still facing an extended recovery period. So far, the Warriors have only formally ruled him out for the rest of the 2025/26 season, with no indication of what his timeline might look like beyond this season. However, Kerr provided a hint on Wednesday about a possible initial target date for the fifth-year wing’s return, suggesting that Moody and Jimmy Butler (torn ACL) may enter the offseason on similar timetables.
“Hopefully those guys will be back next season, mid-season or so,” Kerr said, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- As Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area relays, Draymond Green pushed back during his latest podcast on the idea that this Warriors season has been “cursed,” pointing out that there have been a handful of bright spots amidst the disappointing developments, including forward Gui Santos making “life-changing money.” Santos, who signed a three-year, $15MM extension last month, spoke to Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints about his journey to the NBA, adjusting to life in America after growing up in Brazil, earning a spot in the Warriors’ rotation, and signing that new contract.
- Two-way player Nate Williams didn’t join the Warriors until after the All-Star game, but he has emerged as a solid part-time contributor for the team, scoring 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting in Atlanta on Saturday. “Nate’s been great,” Kerr said after that game, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “He’s a really good young guy. Very coachable. He’s got a live body, you can see he can score in the paint … he’s got a good touch.” Because he signed so late in the season, Williams can only be active for up to 16 games on his two-way deal and he’s already at 11, so he has been on the inactive list in three of Golden State’s past four contests.
- The next formal update on Stephen Curry‘s health is expected to come on Friday, according to Friedell, who notes (via Twitter) that the star guard is still primarily working with trainer Rick Celebrini “behind the scenes” rather than doing much on-court work. Curry has been out since January 30 due to a knee injury.
Pacific Notes: Dunn, Curry, Clifford, K. Hayes, Hachimura, Smart
Kris Dunn‘s $5.7MM salary for next season is currently non-guaranteed, but will become fully guaranteed if the veteran guard makes an All-Defensive team or is still on the roster past June 30, 2026.
Justin Russo asked Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue what responsibility he felt to make sure players who have incentives in their contracts are eligible to reach them (Twitter video link). Dunn was ineligible for All-Defensive consideration last season despite making 74 regular season appearances because he didn’t play 20-plus minutes in enough games to qualify for major postseason awards.
“(His salary)’s gonna be guaranteed regardless. … As long as I’m here, I want KD,” Lue replied. “He means a lot to the team. Everything he brings: His unselfishness, who he stands for as a person. He’s just a winner; he does all the winning things. And so whether he makes (an All-Defensive team) or not, which I hope he does for him, he’ll be here (next season).”
Dunn, who turned 32 last week, is averaging 7.7 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals on .480/.379/.773 shooting in 27.6 minutes per game in 2025/26. He has yet to miss a game this season and has already become eligible for an All-Defensive team, though whether he actually makes one is obviously up to the voters.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Stephen Curry was expected to scrimmage with the Warriors on Sunday morning, but that didn’t happen, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). The Warriors said the star guard didn’t suffer any type of setback — he just wasn’t ready to advance to that stage of his recovery yet. Instead, Curry did on-court work and continued to rehab with Rick Celebrini, Slater adds. On a brighter note for the Warriors, Moses Moody (right wrist sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (back) both returned to action on Monday in Dallas.
- Kings guard/forward Nique Clifford has been diagnosed with a mild midfoot sprain after undergoing an MRI, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com). The rookie first-round pick, who suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over Brooklyn, will miss at least one week, which is when he’ll be reevaluated. Killian Hayes also underwent an MRI after sustaining an injury on Sunday, and the imaging revealed inflammation in his left toe. The sixth-year guard is considered day-to-day, per the team.
- The Lakers were missing Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart in Monday’s loss in Detroit. Hachimura, who is dealing with a right calf contusion, underwent an MRI, which came back clean, head coach JJ Redick told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter links). Smart, meanwhile, suffered a right ankle sprain and a right hip injury during Saturday’s win at Orlando. Both players are considered day-to-day, Redick said.
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Curry, Injuries, Kuminga
The Warriors are the latest team to sign up for the Kristaps Porzingis experience, which has been tantalizing and frustrating during most of his NBA stops, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Porzingis can be a difference maker on the court with his combination of size and talent, but his susceptibility to injuries creates uncertainty over how often he’ll be available.
He left Friday’s game at Detroit with back soreness and is unavailable for tonight’s contest in Atlanta. The Hawks traded him to Golden State last month after going through a mostly disappointing stretch with Porzingis, who was acquired from Boston last summer but was only healthy for 17 games before being shipped out.
The latest injury forced Porzingis to leave Friday’s game in the second quarter after taking a couple of hits from Pistons big man Paul Reed.
“I kind of started feeling it from the first quarter,” Porzingis told ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter video link). “It started to spasm up a bit. I tried to move and … while I was warm, but at one point I kind of felt a little spasm.”
This is the fourth time in Porzingis’ career that he has been sidelined with back issues, according to Poole, who adds that team officials declined to speculate about how long he might be out. He has appeared in just seven of 18 games since the February 5 trade.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- A scrimmage on Sunday morning in Atlanta will be the next step in Stephen Curry‘s comeback attempt, coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Saturday (Twitter video link from Slater). “I think tomorrow’s probably the big day, and we’ll know more at that point,” Kerr added. Curry, who has been sidelined since January 30 with runner’s knee, will be reevaluated on Tuesday when the team returns home from its road trip.
- Golden State had six players out and five others listed as questionable on its injury report for tonight’s game, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). Among those considered questionable, Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton and Malevy Leons have been cleared to play, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In a pregame session with the media, Hawks coach Quin Snyder shared his advice for Jonathan Kuminga as he prepares for his first meeting with the Warriors since being sent to Atlanta in the Porzingis deal, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Players get traded in this league. You can’t make it about you, and I don’t think he is,” Snyder said. “I think more than anything, he’s looking forward to being on the court, regardless of who the opponent is. The plan is for him to keep doing what he’s doing, no matter who we’re playing. He’s done that. Whether that means six shots or 13, or however many. It’s really not been about his offense. He’s given us a lift defensively and I think his energy has been really good. He’s been a boost for our team when he’s been able to play. And hopefully that’s what we’ll see tonight.”
Stephen Curry To Miss At Least Two More Games
Stephen Curry will miss the Warriors‘ games tonight at Atlanta and Monday at Dallas, but he’s expected to return to practice in the next few days, the team announced (via Twitter).
Curry was reevaluated on Saturday for patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, which has sidelined him since January 30. The team stated that he’s making “good progress” and has intensified his individual on-court workouts. Another reevaluation will take place when the team returns home Tuesday.
A recent report cited “cautious optimism” that Curry will return to the court by the end of March. He’s focused on improving his conditioning and making sure he can run and jump without aggravating his right knee.
The 38-year-old guard remains an All-Star-level player when he’s healthy, leading Golden State in scoring at 27.2 points per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range. The Warriors have a 23-16 record when he has played this season, but are just 10-21 without him and have fallen to 10th place in the West.
The team also provided an update on Moses Moody, who has missed the past nine games after spraining his right wrist on March 2. Moody is also making progress in individual on-court drills and will begin participating in live action soon. Like Curry, he will be reevaluated when the road trip ends.
Moody said on Friday that he’s been through some “high-intensity workouts” and is still feeling pain in his wrist.
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Kerr, Curry, Melton, Moody, More
Veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis has begun to show in recent games why the Warriors traded for him ahead of last month’s deadline, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. After missing six consecutive games due to an illness, Porzingis has played five of the past seven contests, averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals in just 22.8 minutes per game.
“Now I’m healthy, and now I’m actually feeling good,” Porzingis said. “I’m getting a real good feeling about basketball again, which is the most important. Because everything else kind of goes into second place when you’re not feeling perfect. It’s just natural I think to feel that way, and now when I’m actually getting my legs back, getting into good shape, it’s a good reminder why I love this. Just enjoying playing again.”
According to Friedell, Porzingis reiterated after Wednesday’s loss to Boston that he’s still working his way back into shape and is only at about 60 percent of his peak level of performance, but he has been consistently encouraged by the progress he’s made after each passing game.
“I think I’m already now where I can contribute decently,” Porzingis said. “But I think like four or five more games — I know I said that three games ago, but four or five more games, and then I feel like I’ll really be close and pretty good shape. Obviously, in the season it’s not ideal, but my overall feel, I see the trajectory now. So, for me, I’m kinda convinced that I’m headed in the right direction.”
For his part, head coach Steve Kerr could envision a scenario in which Porzingis stays with Golden State long term, per Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kerr made the comments on 95.7 FM’s Willard and Dibs show on Tuesday.
“I think the whole point in trading for him a couple weeks back was that we get the end of this season to make a run to see what he can do, see what we can do with him and pair him with Steph (Curry),” Kerr explained. “And he’s an unrestricted free agent after this season, but he’s our guy, and we get to show him what we have to offer him. We get to know each other.
“I think ideally, for everybody, he would re-sign and come back healthy and be an important player for us for many years.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Porzingis also reiterated his desire to play with Curry, as Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “Oh man, this is the GOAT, you know what I mean,” Porzingis said after Monday’s win over Washington. “To play with somebody like that, it’s going to be unbelievable. Obviously, from playing against him, I know what type of a player he is. And (with) the gravity he brings, it just opens everything up for everybody else. So, hopefully he will be back with us soon.” Curry continues to be sidelined by a right knee injury, though there’s reportedly “cautious optimism” that the two-time MVP will be able to return this month.
- De’Anthony Melton is another potential free agent — he holds a minimum-salary player option for next season. The 27-year-old guard said he tries to stay present in the moment, given the back and knee injuries he’s dealt with in recent years, but he recently expressed on Willard and Dibs that he could see himself re-signing with Golden State. “I mean, of course. Of course,” Melton said (story via Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area). “I feel like I’ve expressed countless times how much I love Golden State, from the medical staff to the actual staff to the front office to the players that have been here. So I think that love is definitely out there. But at the end of the day, I just take it day by day and see how it goes.”
- After the Warriors lost for the sixth time in seven games on Wednesday, Kerr acknowledged the team is essentially locked into the play-in tournament, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. The Warriors have fallen to the No. 10 seed in the West, but they’re trying to get back up to No. 8 for an easier path to the playoffs. “We’ve had our eyes on six for a while,” Kerr said. “That’s out of the question now. We’re not getting there. If we can string together some wins, try to get to eighth, that’d be ideal. Get two cracks at (getting in the playoffs). But we’re not getting to seven. We know that.”
- Kerr previously expressed optimism that Moses Moody would return to action during the team’s ongoing road trip, but he sounded skeptical about that possibility on Wednesday, Friedell tweets. There’s no official timeline for Moody’s return — he has missed the last eight games due to a right wrist sprain.