Any hopes of the Golden State Warriors getting past the Play-In Tournament to officially make the 2026 NBA Playoffs to play the Oklahoma City Thunder rely almost solely on the shoulders of superstar Stephen Curry.
However, Curry has played just two games since returning from a knee injury that kept him out since late January, and missed the Warriors’ last game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to injury management.
But while head coach Steve Kerr did announce Curry plans on playing Friday against the Sacramento Kings, he is still ramping up from the long-term absence. Now, as the postseason is right around the corner, Golden State will be relying on a 37-year-old coming off a serious knee injury to have any hopes of making it past the Play-In Tournament.
Warriors Get Bad News On Play-In Tournament Hopes
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 28: Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on April 28, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
At 37-43, the Warriors are locked into the tenth seed in the West with just two games remaining in the regular season.
They will play either the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers in the ‘9-10’ matchup of the Play-In, and with a win, will likely match up against one of those two teams, or the Phoenix Suns, in the final round of the tournament.
However, while two wins are needed just to become the eighth seed at best and then play the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, thinking that is a possibility might be too big of a stretch for the Warriors.
According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, even with Curry back, Golden State is not expected to find success in the Play-In Tournament.
“The immediate answer from league insiders I spoke to was ‘no,'” Bontemps wrote on the Warriors’ Play-In chances. “Obviously, it’s been a brutal season for Golden State from an injury perspective, including losing both Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody for the season, plus the Jonathan Kuminga drama over the first half of the season and Kristaps Porzingis and Curry missing large chunks of the second half.”
Additionally, as the insiders asked around the league what executives, coaches, and others think of Golden State, any hopes of winning just two games in the Play-In remain very low.
“I’m not sure they even win the 9-10 game, let alone both,” a West scout said. “It’s one thing when Steph gets it going at home and he’s got that crowd roaring behind him. That’s a real thing. It’s different when they’re on the road and he’s doing it somewhere else. That same factor just isn’t there.”
While Kerr was hopeful the Warriors could make waves in the playoffs with Curry back, that does not appear to be the sentiment around the league.
Stephen Curry Injury Update And Warriors Injury News
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 01: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smiles as he warms up before their game against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Though he didn’t play on Thursday against the Lakers, Curry will suit up on Friday against the Kings and play just his third game back since his injury return.
According to Kerr, the hope is that Golden State will see Curry, Porzingis, and potentially Al Horford all on the court together for the first time this season.
“Warriors are hopeful Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford all play tomorrow night in Sacramento, giving them two games of data/reps to gear up for next Wednesday’s play-in elimination game. Horford scrimmaged yesterday,” team insider Anthony Slater wrote in a post on X, echoing a similar statement in a recent ESPN TV appearance.
Horford has missed the past few weeks, but there is hope he will finally return for the Warriors on Friday. Curry and Porzingis both sat on the first night of a back-to-back, but also expect to play against Sacramento.
While its good news for Golden State on that front, the team still has a loaded injury report, as health concerns continue to derail what was expected to be an exciting season from the Bay Area franchise.
For now, however, keeping Curry healthy for a potential postseason run is all that matters, even if sources around the league don’t think the Warriors have a chance to make it past the Play-In Tournament.
Warriors Hit With Bad News Despite Latest Stephen Curry Injury Update