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Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors stands on the sideline during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Chase Center on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
The Golden State Warriors won’t bring injured sharpshooter Stephen Curry back just for the play-in tournament, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Friday.
“We’re not bringing him back like for the Play-In game,” Kerr revealed on Friday.
“He needs to play some games, and we need to give him a runway if this is going to work — and we are running out of games.”
There was earlier speculation that Curry might participate in the play-in game even if he doesn’t return before the Warriors complete their 82-game regular-season slate.
Warriors ‘Running Out of Games’
The 38-year-old Curry has been out of action with a knee injury since the Jan. 30 loss to the Detroit Pistons, and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. If Curry isn’t cleared for Wednesday’s tie against the San Antonio Spurs, he’d have missed 26 straight games with his troublesome Runner’s Knee.
After Wednesday’s clash against the Spurs, the Warriors will have just six games left on their schedule. As such, Curry would have to tentatively return by the first week of April, or the Warriors could shut down their franchise star for the season.
Kerr stressed that the Warriors would bring Curry back only if there’s a realistic chance of him playing a few games before the play-in tounrmanet.
“If he’s healthy, he’s going to play,” Kerr said. “If he’s not healthy, or if there’s any risk at all, then he won’t play. That’s just how he’s built. It’s how we’re built.”
NBA Play In Tournament
The tenth-seeded Warriors (36-38) would need to win both their play-in games to try and secure the eighth seed and qualify for the playoffs. As it stands, there’s a slim chance they can surpass the Portland Trail Blazers (37-38) and the LA Clippers (38-36) to sneak into the No. 7 versus No. 8 matchup, which would give them better odds of making the playoffs. Kerr’s team has won three games in a row, but against lottery-bound teams such as the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks.
Kerr acknowledged that the Warriors are, for the first time in weeks, considering shutting down Curry if he isn’t cleared soon.
“It’s actually a conversation now,” Kerr said of the Warriors shutting down Curry.
Still, Kerr expects Curry to make a last-ditch effort to help his team.
“It’s just in his blood,” Kerr said of Curry’s competitive nature.
“He’ll probably be the same way when he’s 78 returning from an injury that’s affected his golf game. He is an absolute fierce competitor, and you don’t teach that. It’s just how he’s built.”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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