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Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is a four-time NBA champion.
The Golden State Warriors announced Sunday that Stephen Curry would be sidelined for at least another 10 days, ruling him out of at least five more games. For a team clinging to eighth place in the Western Conference at 31-30, the news landed hard. Curry has not played since January 30. He has now missed 11 consecutive games with right patellofemoral pain syndrome — runner’s knee — and his eventual return remains uncertain.
The announcement immediately set off speculation about something more drastic. Could the Warriors be considering shutting Curry down entirely for the rest of the season?
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst addressed it directly.
What Windhorst Said About the Curry Situation
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is currently sidelined due to a knee injury.
Windhorst did not sugarcoat the significance of the latest update, but he pushed back on the most alarming interpretation of it.
“Instantly there were people who were wondering [if] they are considering shutting him down for the season,” Windhorst said on ESPN. “I don’t think that’s what they’re doing. I think they’re evaluating where they are in the standings and evaluating where Steph is and trying to do their own strategy play here. It is obviously a significant development that Steph is going to be out a few more weeks.”
The framing matters. This is not a team throwing in the towel. It is a franchise trying to manage a delicate situation — balancing Curry’s long-term health against a playoff race that still has meaningful stakes. Curry himself called the injury “unpredictable” when speaking to ESPN’s Malika Andrews, acknowledging it would be “a little longer” before a return is on the table. But careful calculation cuts both ways.
Butler is done. Porzingis has played once since the trade deadline. If Golden State survives the play-in, the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs are waiting in the first round. Asking a 38-year-old Curry to play through pain for that outcome is a question worth asking. A rested Curry entering next season, with a full offseason to rebuild and Butler potentially back in the second half of 2026-27, may be the smarter play.
The Numbers Behind the Decision
The Warriors are 23-16 when Curry plays this season. They are 8-14 without him. That split tells the whole story about what his presence means to this team.
In 39 games, he has averaged 27.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 39.1 percent from three. With 22 games left and Curry having played only 39, he will finish well short of the 65-game threshold required for MVP and All-NBA consideration. That eligibility question is now settled.
What is not settled is how Golden State navigates the weeks ahead. The next five games without Curry include a road trip starting Thursday in Houston. Moses Moody picked up wrist and shoulder injuries Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Kristaps Porzingis has played once since arriving at the trade deadline. Jimmy Butler is done for the season. The roster has rarely looked this thin.
What Comes Next for the Warriors
GettySteve Kerr, Golden State Warriors.
The earliest Curry could return, based on the 10-day re-evaluation timeline, is March 13 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center. That is the best-case scenario. Whether he is ready by then depends entirely on how his knee responds in the coming days.
Steve Kerr and the front office are not going to rush it. The point, as Windhorst suggested, is strategy.
If Curry comes back too early and reaggravates the injury, the entire season falls apart. If they manage it correctly and bring him back healthy for a playoff push, the Warriors still have a path. But the harder question looms underneath all of it. Jimmy Butler is done for the year. Kristaps Porzingis has barely played. If the Warriors scrape through the play-in, they face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs — a daunting first-round assignment for a shorthanded team asking their 38-year-old star to play through pain. A first-round exit is the likely outcome either way.
The case for keeping Curry on ice is real. A full summer of rest, reinforced roster moves, and a Butler who could be healthy for the second half of next season changes the calculus entirely. Burning Curry’s knee on a playoff run with this supporting cast may not be worth the risk.
Matt Steinmetz of 95.7 The Game echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting Golden State will rest Curry as long as possible before a mid-to-late March return.
Final Word for the Warriors
The shutdown conversation will not go away until Curry is back on the floor. But Windhorst’s read — strategy, not surrender — remains the most grounded take on what Golden State is doing.
The Warriors are being deliberate. Measured. They are not rushing their best player back for a playoff run that may offer little reward. Whether Curry returns in March or they point him toward next season entirely, the approach is the same — protect the asset, trust the process.
Golden State has built too much around Curry to gamble with what is left of his prime.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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