Shams: ‘Cautious Optimism’ Steph Curry Will Return In March
There’s “cautious optimism” in Golden State that Warriors star Stephen Curry will be able to return to action at some point before the end of March, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during a segment on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Curry, who last played on January 30, has missed the past 18 games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee. However, both he and head coach Steve Kerr have expressed optimism about his ability to return before the end of the regular season. Charania’s latest update suggests it could happen within the next couple weeks.
“I’m told he had a strong on-court workout Tuesday afternoon in Boston,” Charania told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “Starting to run, cut, move, take some slight contact, like the Stephen Curry that we know. The most important part though is that he’s not experiencing the swelling that he’s had over the last several weeks or a month ago, when he needed to get a PRP injection, from my understanding, due to those knee issues.”
As Anthony Slater of ESPN tweeted earlier today, Curry is still doing individual workouts and hasn’t progressed to team activities, but the fact that he’s ramping up his on-court work is a positive sign. According to Charania, the next steps for the 38-year-old will be to improve his conditioning and to make sure he’s comfortable running and jumping with that right knee.
While injuries have limited Curry to 39 games so far this season, he has continued to perform at an All-NBA level when he’s been available, averaging 27.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per night, with a .468/.391/.931 shooting line. He earned his 12th All-Star berth this winter and has led Golden State to a 23-16 record in games he’s played. The team has gone just 10-19 without him.
Despite losing 10 of their past 14 games, the Warriors still have a firm hold on a play-in spot. At 33-35, they have a 9.5-game cushion on the No. 11 Grizzlies. However, they’ve fallen behind the No. 8 Clippers in the standings and are ahead of the No. 10 Trail Blazers by just a half-game.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Kerr, Schedule, Yurtseven, Richard
Stephen Curry has been out since January 3o due to a knee injury, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr remains confident his star guard will return before the end of the season, Kevin Borba of NBC Sports Bay Area relays.
“Well, we expect him back,” Kerr said to NBC’s Bob Costas during the broadcast of the Warriors-Knicks contest on Sunday. “He’s trending in the right direction. It’s been a tricky injury. I think he’ll be back for sure. We just don’t know if it’s going to be a week or two or whatever. It’s a day-to-day process.”
Curry has been working out and will be reevaluated on March 21. He’ll miss at least the next three games.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Despite an injury-marred season, Curry isn’t seriously considering the idea of retiring in the near future, Nick Friedell of The Athletic relays. Curry made his comments during an interview with The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II. “I think your body is the first point of information,” he said. “Just what it takes to get ready for a game is a lot different now than it was a decade ago. When I’m out there on the court right now, I still get lost in the fun. It’s still my happy place. All the work is worth it because I get to go out there and hoop at the highest level. The competition, the camaraderie, the chasing something that matters — that still gets me going. And I don’t see that stopping anytime soon.”
- Kerr has called for shortening the regular season numerous times and he was at it again this weekend, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). “I’m well aware fewer games would mean less revenue which means everybody takes a pay cut and I’m willing to stick my neck out and say I’m all for that because I think the quality of the product is the most important thing,” he said. “So I don’t say these things flippantly. I say these things because I mean them.” Kerr would like to see the schedule reduced by 10 games. “We have incredible people in this league and great fans. I just want to make sure we give our fans the very, very best product we can and try to satisfy all of our corporate partners,” Kerr said. “And I just think there’s probably a way to do that without just completely — I don’t know, ignoring some of the obvious (schedule-related injury) issues we’ve established.”
- Big man Omer Yurtseven says the NBA game is much more free-flowing than in the European leagues due to the layout of the court and rules preventing defenders from hanging out in the paint. “In Europe, it’s much more chaotic,” Yurtseven said, per Eurohoops.net. “They will just shrink, be able to recover it back, because the three-point line is closer, because there is no three-second rule in defense. Those kinds of things affect everything.” Yurtseven, signed to a 10-day contract over the weekend, went scoreless in 13 minutes in a three-point loss to the Knicks but did pull down four rebounds.
- Kerr was mad at himself for lambasting rookie Will Richard during Sunday’s nationally televised game. Kerr ripped Richard for committing a silly turnover in the second quarter. “I kind of regret losing my composure a little bit there,” Kerr said, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s my job to keep the guys going, especially when we’re without so many players.”
Stephen Curry Hasn’t Given Up On Playing This Season
It’s been more than six weeks since Stephen Curry has been able to play basketball, but he remains determined not to give up on this season, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. After the reeling Warriors lost Sunday night at New York, Curry talked to Friedell about the runner’s knee condition that he’s experiencing and addressed whether he has considered being shut down.
“That’s not who we are,” he said. “If we have stuff to play for, we play. So, I’m working to get back.”
Curry has been out of action since the injury forced him to leave a game against Detroit on January 30. He was recently able to resume individual workouts, but no date has been set for a potential return. The team announced last Wednesday that Curry’s absence would stretch for at least 10 more days.
Curry, who turned 38 over the weekend, acknowledged that many fans are advising him to take the safe approach and rest his knee in preparation for next season.
“I know we’re depleted, but the idea of my injury is just getting information by the day of, ‘Can I play safely? Be myself out there and not put myself in danger short term or long term?’ And then, we still have stuff to play for,” Curry said. “We’d love to see guys in a playoff series and take a swing. Hopefully, see this team that’s currently constructed healthy for a stretch to learn as much as we can and compete. That’s who we are.”
Curry accompanied the Warriors on their current road trip, which has five more stops over the next seven days, including tonight’s game at Washington. Even at 32-35, there’s little danger of falling out of the play-in race, which lessens the urgency to get Curry back on the court right away. However, there is a concern about dropping behind Portland into 10th place, which would mean having to win two games on the road to advance to the playoffs.
Coach Steve Kerr addressed Curry’s condition in a session with reporters before Sunday’s game, saying he “continues to trend in the right direction,” but uncertainty remains over how the knee will respond to treatment. Kerr added that he misses having his star player available.
“Of course,” he said. “I’m the luckiest coach in the league to coach him and to watch him play. Just an incredible athlete. The grace, the ability, the charisma; he’s just one of one. This is the longest stretch I can remember being without him since — I think it was 2020, when he missed basically the whole season. So, we miss him. We miss watching him.”
Warriors Notes: Steph, Moody, Cryer, Draymond
In a radio appearance on 95.7 FM’s Willard and Dibs show on Wednesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided an injury update on Stephen Curry, who will miss at least five more games due to his ongoing right knee issue.
Kerr said Curry is “frustrated” and “dying to be out there,” but has not yet practiced, as Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area relays.
“He’s getting shots up, but he’s not in a place yet where we’re saying he’s going to be practicing anytime in the next few days,” Kerr said. “It’s pretty methodical. As you guys know, (Warriors director of sports medicine and performance) Rick (Celebrini) is as good as they come and he’s going to be very cautious and make sure Steph gets the right build up and we go from there.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Kerr is optimistic Moses Moody will return from his right wrist sprain at some point during Golden State’s upcoming road trip, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic. The Warriors play six road games from March 15-23, including a couple of back-to-backs. Moody, a fifth-year wing who is averaging a career-high 11.9 points per game while shooting a career-best 40.2% from long distance, will miss a fifth straight contest on Friday due to the injury.
- Although the Warriors have been in a rut of late without Curry and Jimmy Butler, dropping three straight games, two-way player LJ Cryer has been a bright spot over the past four contests, averaging 11.8 points and shooting 48.0% from three-point range in 18.8 minutes per game. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area profiles the former Baylor and Houston guard, whose family is full of athletes. “Went from being one of the last guys on the bench coming into college to being the star,” Cryer said. “Sometimes you just got to wait your time and put in work behind the scenes. It’s kind of what’s happening now.”
- On his podcast, Draymond Green expressed regret for his actions in Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, per Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area. The veteran forward/center fouled Jalen Smith with one second left in regulation and the Warriors up two points. Smith converted both free throws to send the game to overtime. “Unfortunately, I feel like against the Bulls, I let my team down,” Green said. “Something that was completely in my control or our control, but s–t happens, and we got to move on. And we got the Timberwolves coming in (Friday), and you just got to figure it out.”
Warriors’ Stephen Curry (Knee) Out At Least 10 More Days
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry will miss at least 10 more days due to his right knee injury, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Curry has missed 15 consecutive games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, colloquially known as runner’s knee. Today’s update suggests he’ll miss at least five more contests.
Curry, who turns 38 years old on Saturday, has begun on-court work and is hoping to “intensify his workouts” in the coming days, sources tell Charania and Slater.
The Warriors put out a press release (Twitter link) confirming ESPN’s report.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Warriors are 23-16 when Curry plays this season but have gone just 9-17 without their leading scorer. Golden State is currently 32-33, the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors dropped back-to-back games (at Utah and vs. Chicago) over the past two days. While the players were “relatively upbeat” after Monday’s loss, they were “quiet” and “frustrated” in the locker room after blowing a late lead on Tuesday, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
“Both very winnable games,” head coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday after a 130-124 overtime loss to the Bulls at Chase Center. “Had the lead late tonight — obviously, one we should have had — but this is how the NBA is, especially when you’re beaten up. You’re not going to blow anybody out; games are gonna be tight; you got to finish, and we didn’t finish either of the last two nights.”
Several players were sidelined on Tuesday, Friedell writes, including De’Anthony Melton. Golden State limited Melton’s minutes on Monday because the team planned to play him on both ends of the back-to-back for the first time in 2025/26, but that didn’t come to fruition after he tweaked his adductor.
Center Kristaps Porzingis made his third appearance as a Warrior on Tuesday, finishing with 17 points (on 5-of-13 shooting), four rebounds and four blocks in 20 minutes. He acknowledged he’s not in peak shape right now but is optimistic his conditioning will improve if he can stay on the court consistently, Fridell writes.
Porzingis also discussed Curry’s ongoing absence after Tuesday’s game, Friedell adds.
“I want to play with Steph,” Porzingis said. “Who doesn’t? I know he’s doing everything he can to be back with us as soon as possible. And obviously, it’s a completely different team with him here. Hopefully, I get that chance soon.”
Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Porzingis, Kawhi, Moody
The Warriors entered Thursday’s game in Houston having gone 23-16 with Stephen Curry available and just 8-14 in games he has missed. However, the shorthanded club, playing without Curry for a 12th straight game due to his knee injury, pulled out a surprising overtime win over the Rockets, as ESPN’s Anthony Slater writes, after the two-time MVP texted Draymond Green some words of encouragement before the game.
“Keep going,” Curry told his teammate, according to Green. “I know it’s tough, but promise you, I’m coming back.”
Head coach Steve Kerr referred to it as the “best game of the season” for Brandin Podziemski, who scored a team-high 26 points and grabbed five offensive rebounds in 40 minutes of action, and said Golden State got a “vintage” performance from Green. Two-way player LJ Cryer, who had played eight total minutes in three games and had been out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury, also came up big with 12 points in 20 minutes off the bench, Nick Friedell of The Athletic notes.
While Curry’s return still isn’t imminent and there’s no specific timeline for when he’ll be back, Green said he knows the star guard is doing everything he can to play again in the coming weeks.
“My confidence level is high, ultimately, because I know (Curry)’s going to put in all the work and do everything he can to get back,” Green said. “If his body allows him to get back, I know he will come back. He’s not wanting to just shut it down. For us, just got to stay afloat. Nobody’s expecting us to go on a 10-game win streak, but you just got to stay afloat. Tonight’s a big step towards that.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Kristaps Porzingis has been able to do more on the court in recent days and the Warriors are hopeful that will trend will continue, Friedell writes for The Athletic. Porzingis is on Golden State’s three-game road trip and told The Athletic he’s feeling better after missing the last six games due to an illness, but Kerr was noncommittal on a timeline for the big man. “He’s gonna get a workout today, and we’ll just take it day by day from there,” Kerr said. ESPN’s Slater and Ramona Shelburne took a more in-depth look at the “mysterious” illness that has affected Porzingis over the past year and limited him to one appearance since the Warriors acquired him from Atlanta last month.
- Within that story on Porzingis, Slater and Shelburne cite league sources who say the Warriors were among the teams to inquire on Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard prior to last month’s deadline. Leonard ultimately stayed in Los Angeles even though L.A. traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac.
- Fifth-year Warriors wing Moses Moody sat out on Thursday due to a right wrist sprain, but he shouldn’t require an extended absence. Kerr referred to Moody last night as day-to-day, tweets Slater.
- During a radio appearance this week on 95.7 The Game, Kerr responded to criticism about the way the Warriors have developed young players in recent years, as Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “I think we’ve really addressed that over the last four or five years,” Kerr said. “We felt like there were some improvements we could make, and we changed some things organizationally. We brought in a couple of people to put them in charge of player development. I think we’ve done a pretty good job with that over the last few years. … I think part of the frustration of our fans probably stems from the fact that we have the three lottery picks coming at a time when we were winning a championship. And it’s just hard to play 19-year-olds on championship teams. The development that comes is going to be different than it would come on a team that’s in the lottery, where you just put a guy out there for 35 minutes and let him make his mistakes.”
Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Porzingis, Williams
Stephen Curry has been sidelined since January 30 with a lingering right knee injury, leading to some outside speculation whether the 37-year-old star should be shut down for the rest of the season. Warriors teammate Draymond Green addressed that topic on his latest podcast and determined that it’s unlikely to happen, relays Eden Collier of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“He was preparing to come back in the season where we had won 15 games (in 2019/20),” Green said. “So I say that from experience when I say, he’s not just going to shut it down just to shut it down. It’s not who he is.”
Golden State has been reeling without its top scorer, falling to 31-30 and just barely holding onto eighth place in the West. A return may still be far away, as the team announced on Sunday that Curry won’t be reevaluated for 10 more days and his absence may extend beyond that point. Green assured listeners that owner Joe Lacob would never endorse tanking, but he also acknowledged that it’s hard to run an effective offense without Curry and Jimmy Butler, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
“All you can do is continue to fight, make sure you’re maintaining and building good habits,” Green said. “Try to give yourself a chance to win these games.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed the past five games due to illness, is traveling with the team on its three-game road trip, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). However, he’s already been ruled out of Thursday’s game at Houston. Golden State will also be without Moses Moody, who sprained his right wrist in Monday’s game, and Will Richard, who is sidelined with an ankle sprain.
- It would be a “fool’s errand” to re-sign Porzingis if he doesn’t show he can stay healthy, but his $30.7MM expiring contract will provide the Warriors with some cap flexibility for the offseason, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. The organization wanted to get something in return for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, but it’s going to take a summer of maneuvering to make the deal pay off, Poole adds.
- The Warriors’ injuries enabled two-way player Nate Williams to log nearly 22 minutes and score a career-high 18 points on Monday, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). Williams, who went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and spent time guarding Kawhi Leonard, could play an important role until the rest of the roster gets healthier. “I’m just being myself and the team allows me to do that,” he said. “I give all thanks to (Steve Kerr) and the coaching staff for giving me an opportunity. They just let me be myself and they just put me on game as I go along.”
Warriors GM Dunleavy Talks Curry, Kerr, Kuminga, Porzingis
If Milwaukee had been willing to make a deal at last month’s trade deadline, the Warriors likely would’ve given up several of their future first-round picks – and swaps – to acquire star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, speaking to Tim Kawakami on his TK Show podcast (Spotify link) on Tuesday, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. pointed to the health issues currently afflicting his top players as an example of why surrendering significant future draft capital carries significant risk.
“I think going back to the Jimmy (Butler) trade last year, that’s why we loved the trade so much, because we’re getting a great player and we’re only giving up that year’s pick. There’s nothing out in the future,” Dunleavy said, according to Kawakami. “…I think we’re always being disciplined about using those picks, considering them in trades, things like that. But when you’re put in a situation like this, where your best players are out and you’re struggling to win games, I think you appreciate having that draft capital moving forward.”
In addition to missing Butler (torn ACL) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), the Warriors are currently playing without their top scorer, Stephen Curry, who has been out since January 30 due to a knee issue. Asked by Kawakami if there’s any possibility that Curry gets shut down for the rest of the season, Dunleavy didn’t rule it out, but said it would be “very surprising” if that happens.
“I’m not a doctor and things can go a certain way,” he said. “I don’t want the headline to be, ‘Steph may be done for the year’ because I’m not ruling it out. But just because he’s not playing right now, I just have to acknowledge that, ‘Yeah, sure, there’s a chance.’ But we don’t expect that.”
Here are a few more of Dunleavy’s most notable quotes from his appearance on The TK Show:
On whether he expects Steve Kerr to be the Warriors’ head coach in 2026/27:
“I don’t see why not. I think Steve’s mentioned wanting to get to the end of the season and figure it out. I think things, for him, are going well. We’ll figure all that out when it comes. I think it’s been interesting, like the focus for us internally between myself, (team owner) Joe (Lacob), the players, Steve, has really been on like getting this thing right the rest of the season. So we haven’t put a whole bunch of thought into it.
“But you know, obviously, on a personal level, (I) love having Steve here. Yeah, I would project that he’s our coach next year. But again, we’re going down to absolute certainties, and a lot of it’s in his court, so we’ll have to see.”
On whether the Warriors seriously considered hanging onto Jonathan Kuminga through last month’s trade deadline:
“I think you guys know, it’s been put out there about (Kuminga’s) trade demand, and I think any time a player wants that, I want to try to accommodate. You want people who want to be here. And for that reason, we felt it was the right time to move on. I think JK’s happy about it, I think we’re in the right spot for it, it was just kind of the right thing to do at the time.”
On whether he’s satisfied with the information-gathering process that led to the Warriors acquiring Porzingis (who has been limited to a single outing since the trade due to health issues):
“That’s a great question, it’s a fair question. I think it’s really, really complicated. This is a unique situation. I’d say from our end, I feel good about, from the information we had, I feel good about our evaluation of what that was on the medical side. And for that reason, that’s why we made the trade.”
Warriors Notes: Santos, Curry, Horford, Playoffs
Gui Santos has been given more ball-handling responsibility for the Warriors of late and it has sparked a new excitement in him, Nick Avila writes for NBC Sports Bay Area.
“Yeah, I’m loving it — not that I don’t like the other part,” Santos said. “I love to just be on the NBA floor, but when you’re on the NBA floor and you’ve got a little bit more freedom to find teammates and either go to the basket and do all that, that gives you so much more joy to play. So, I really love it, the momentum.”
The newly extended forward has increased his assist numbers to 4.6 per game over his last five, and his playing style has been infectious among his teammates. However, he knows that his role will change again once Stephen Curry returns.
After receiving his three-year extension, Santos hopes to be an inspiration for other Brazilian players looking to make it in the NBA, Dalton Johnson writes for NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I’m the only one here, so I’m the biggest example when you look at basketball and the NBA being the biggest level you can get to. Everybody is looking at me as an example,” Santos said. “For me, it’s just trying to be a great guy and show that the work ethic is the most important thing. That’s what got me here in this position.”
Head coach Steve Kerr praised Santos following the announcement of the deal.
“He’s been such an important player for us, but also just an incredible development story. Second-round pick and spent his entire first year in Santa Cruz,” Kerr said. “He’s become one of our most important players. We’re all so thrilled for him. He’s excited, it’s a great day.”
Curry reiterated that sentiment, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’ Eden Collier.
“He was so happy to just be on an NBA team at one point,” Curry said. “And now to being a big part of our rotation, really developing and becoming an impactful player on both ends of the floor and being rewarded with that type of security — coming where he came from, it’s a big deal, it’s a big celebration today for him.”
We have more from the Warriors:
- Reacting to the news that Curry will miss at least the next five games with his lingering knee injury, Johnson suggests for NBC Sports Bay Area that it might make sense to shut the star point guard down until the play-in tournament. Given the 4.5-game gap between the Warriors and No. 6 Lakers and the 7.5-game gap that separates Golden State from the No. 11 Grizzlies, caution should be the name of the game when it comes to bringing Curry back, Johnson argues. “It’s just something that you don’t want to have lingering because it can get worse,” Curry said when asked about the injury.
- When Al Horford left the Celtics for the Warriors this offseason, the sense was that he was leaving a team in a gap year for a potential contender. So far, the opposite has been true in terms of the two teams’ relative success levels, and Horford’s integration with the team has required a bit of a learning curve, Gary Washburn writes for the Boston Globe. “I think that the difference is in different places you look for different things,” Horford said. “So in Boston, we ran a lot of pick-and-rolls, and then some isolations, and then we got to moving the ball. And here with the Warriors, we try to get the ball to Draymond (Green), or get the ball in the post, and then play more in the perimeter, play splits and cut to the basket and things like that. And then when Steph is on the court, obviously all that ties in together. So there’s some pick and roll, but then there’s a lot of off-the-ball movement.”
- Kerr is realistic about the Warriors’ chances of earning a top-six spot in the West to avoid the play-in tournament, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Joaquin Ruiz writes. “It’s a lot to make up with 22 games left,” Kerr said. “We don’t even talk about it. It’s not anything that is worth discussing because we just have to try to go out and win and see what happens.“
Stephen Curry To Be Reevaluated in 10 Days
Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be reevaluated in 10 days as he seeks to return from the right knee injury that has kept him sidelined since January 30, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reports (Twitter link). That means that Curry will miss at least five more games in addition to the 10 he has already missed.
It’s essentially the same update the Warriors provided on February 19 when they announced that an MRI on Curry’s troublesome knee revealed no structural damage but that he would miss at least five games and would be reevaluated in 10 days. Today marked 10 days since that announcement.
Curry is dealing with patellofemoral pain syndrome, colloquially known as runner’s knee. He has referred to it as an “unpredictable” issue.
Head coach Steve Kerr previously stated that the team has no interest in shutting Curry down for the season. Golden State is currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Curry is averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists per game this season despite averaging just 31.3 minutes per night, one of the lowest marks of his career. He’ll fall shy of the 65-game minimum for end-of-season awards, meaning he’ll miss out on All-NBA honors for just the second time in the past 13 years.
Curry will remain sidelined for at least the team’s upcoming games against the Clippers (Monday), Rockets (Thursday), Thunder (Saturday), Jazz (March 9), and Bulls (March 10).