For a team that opened the season with championship expectations, the Golden State Warriors are now just trying to stay afloat. Frequent reinjuries to key players like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, along with a season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler, have derailed their momentum and pushed them into the play-in muddle. Because of that, the frontcourt has taken the biggest hit, leaving the Warriors scrambling for reinforcements just to field a workable rotation. With Al Horford and Quinten Post both sidelined and not expected back until next week, the Warriors had no choice but to act.

According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, Golden State is signing center Charles Bassey on a short-term deal, continuing a pattern of emergency frontcourt additions as they try to navigate this injury stretch. This move comes right after the Dubs let Omer Yurtseven walk following two 10-day contracts. While Yurtseven provided decent minutes, the front office opted to bring in a new option as injuries continued to pile up. Horford has already missed 11 straight games with a calf strain, while Post remains sidelined with a foot injury, leaving a clear gap in the rotation.

This is not a random addition. The Warriors need Bassey’s size, rebounding, and interior presence. Without Horford, their small-ball lineups have struggled, especially in protecting the paint and controlling the glass, exposing a weakness they can no longer afford during the play-in push.

Bassey arrives as a familiar short-term option. The 2021 second-round pick most recently spent time with the Boston Celtics on consecutive 10-day deals, appearing in five games. Over his career, he has had brief stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies, carving out a role as a rebound-first big man. While his numbers do not jump off the page, the 6-foot-10, 230-pound center’s physical presence makes him a reliable stopgap solution.

While Bassey fills a short-term gap, the bigger storyline still revolves around Curry’s return. After missing 27 straight games, his conditioning and on-court impact will be under intense scrutiny, especially with the Warriors fighting to stay alive in the postseason race.

Stephen Curry returns just in time for the Warriors

Before the injury, Curry was playing at an elite level and earned his 12th NBA All-Star selection. However, what initially looked like a short-term issue on January 31 turned into a prolonged absence, forcing him to miss the annual traditional weekend and significantly altering the Dubs’ trajectory. Now, after more than two months on the sidelines, the 38-year-old has returned. He cleared fitness tests and took part in scrimmages, signaling that he is ready to step back onto the court. He scored a team-high 29 points while shooting 11 of 21 from the field against the Houston Rockets, almost winning them the game.

The Warriors are clinging to the 10th seed in the West, and Curry brings immediate offensive stability, leadership, and shot creation to a lineup that has struggled to find consistency during his absence. Even in a season disrupted by injuries, Curry has remained the team’s offensive engine, averaging 27.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds, and the Dubs’ offense noticeably drops off in his absence. The Warriors are 13-25 without him.

With only a handful of games left, Steve Kerr will use this stretch to evaluate Curry’s rhythm. If Horford and Post return on time, the Warriors could stabilize their rotation just in time. Until then, Bassey represents a low-risk move, as the Warriors try to hold things together long enough to give themselves a real shot.