Warriors News: Steph Curry Cleared for Contact Amid Hand Injury Recovery

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Saturday that injured guard Stephen Curry has been cleared for contact.

According to Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr also divulged that Curry took part in a scrimmage Saturday.

Curry suffered a broken left hand in the Warriors' fourth game of the season, and his absence has played a significant role in Golden State owning the NBA's worst record at 12-44.

In January, The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II reported Curry was targeting a return in Golden State's home game against the Washington Wizards on March 1.

According to ESPN's Nick Friedell, Curry said March 1 has "always" been his target return date and that he's optimistic he'll play against Washington.

Curry is one of the NBA's biggest stars as a two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA champion, one-time NBA scoring champion and six-time All-Star.

His injury is just one part of what has been a nightmarish season for Golden State. The Dubs lost Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets in free agency, Klay Thompson has missed the entire campaign with a torn ACL and guard D'Angelo Russell wasn't a great fit, which led to the Dubs trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins and a first-round pick.

While this has been a lost season, things are looking up for the next one. Assuming Curry and Thompson are healthy, the Warriors will have a core of Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Draymond Green and one of the top picks in the 2020 NBA draft.

That is comparable to the group that helped the Warriors reach five consecutive NBA Finals prior to this season.

There were some questions regarding whether the Warriors would sit Curry for the remainder of the season to avoid further injury since Golden State is all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs, but it doesn't seem as though the organization wants to do that.

Kerr made it clear this week that holding Curry out has not been a consideration for the Warriors:

That could come back to haunt the Warriors if Curry gets hurt again, but bringing him back could allow him to find a rhythm and help the team close out the season on a high note.

Although it is too late to save the season, his return would at least rejuvenate a fanbase that hasn't had much to cheer about in 2019-20.