Warriors Refute Claim Stephen Curry 'Unlikely' to Return This Season

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors refuted a report that guard Stephen Curry is unlikely to return this season after breaking his hand last week.

Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher reported a team source said Curry's "fracture was worse than originally thought."

The Warriors quickly denied that claim, with a team source calling the report, "complete hogwash." Golden State head coach Steve Kerr added that the initial report was a "head scratcher," when he was asked about it before the team's Friday night game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The team maintains Curry will be re-evaluated after three months after undergoing surgery last Friday. Bucher walked back his report on Twitter, saying he meant Curry would not play for "competitive reasons."

Curry suffered a broken left hand last Wednesday against the Suns when he collided with Suns center Aron Baynes while driving to the rim. Curry fell onto his hands and immediately grabbed his left wrist after Baynes landed on top of him. Last Friday, the Warriors announced Curry underwent hand surgery and will miss at least three months. 

The Warriors have struggled at the start of the season, going 2–6 with a roster that was stripped during the offseason. Golden State's squad features nine players 23 years old or younger and is missing key guys like Kevin Durant, Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. This summer, Durant signed with the Nets as a free agent and Livingston retired from the NBA. Iguodala is currently inactive for the Grizzlies. Klay Thompson is still with Golden State but will miss a majority of the season, or potentially all of it, while recovering from a torn ACL. Curry was supposed to be one of the anchors to hold down the team this year through its transition. 

Bucher's report was part of a feature on the Warriors' woes, where anonymous players from the Pacific Division of the Western Conference say they can't wait to beat the Warriors now that their dominant run appears to have come to an end. If Golden State continues to struggle, it wouldn't be uncommon for Curry to sit out as the season unravels. The Lakers sat LeBron James at the end of last season after he suffered a groin strain and the team fell out of playoff contention.