Steve Kerr pregame: “This is an opportunity we might not ever get again. We don’t know. We’re all at that stage where we have to be conscious of the finality that is possible. It’s just sort of unspoken.”
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Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr
The Golden State Warriors are playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament, in what is a must-win game for both sides.
While the Clippers have been playing strong behind Kawhi Leonard after a slow start to the year, it’s been the opposite story for the Warriors, as with the injuries to Stephen Curry and other key contributors, they’ve struggled to stay afloat for the past few months.
Regardless, it’s a key win-or-go-home game for both Golden State and Los Angeles.
Before the matchup, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had a concerning quote, as his future with the team after this season remains in question.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 25: Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors talks to the media during a press conference after the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on January 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Much has been made about Kerr’s coaching future with the Warriors. There has been mixed reporting on whether he will stay with the team after this year or not, as some have said he’s already been offered a contract, while others have said he is coaching his last season with the team.
Earlier in the day, Anthony Slater of ESPN reported that Kerr’s future has not yet been decided on.
“There won’t be clarity on Steve Kerr’s coaching future in the immediate aftermath of the season. He intends to take time to have the necessary bigger picture conversations before ultimate choice,” Slater wrote on X.
Then, before the Warriors vs Clippers game, Kerr held his typical press conference, but one thing he said, as it relates to the team, and potentially his future in the Bay Area, stood out.
“This is an opportunity we might not ever get again,” the coach said. “We don’t know. We’re all at that stage where we have to be conscious of the finality that is possible. It’s just sort of unspoken.”
Steve Kerr pregame: “This is an opportunity we might not ever get again. We don’t know. We’re all at that stage where we have to be conscious of the finality that is possible. It’s just sort of unspoken.”
That quote has since led to speculation about whether Kerr is potentially coaching in the last Warriors’ game of his career. For now, that remains to be determined, but speculation won’t stop until either he or the team announces a final decision.
Golden State took to social media to announce their starting lineup for the game against the Clippers.
Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis were all named starters by Kerr and his staff.
Outside of the team’s few long-term injuries, this is an ideal group of starters for Golden State. Curry is back in the lineup after playing a few games since his injury return, while Podziemski has been a solid contributor for the team all season long, playing in all 82 games this year.
Green and Porzingis have bounced back and forth on the injury report, but are healthy for the Warriors’ Play-In game on Wednesday.
Melton has also been a consistent player for Golden State over the past few months, as he’s finally recovered from an ACL injury suffered last year.
All things considered, the Warriors being able to start this group is a good sign for the team.
Before the game, Golden State also confirmed its injury report for the Play-In Game. While it still features a few of their key contributors they’d love to have healthy, considering how big the injury report has been at times over the past few weeks, the Warriors should be happy they don’t have more players out.
Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Quinten Post have all been ruled out for the Play-In game against the Clippers.
Both Butler and Moody are out for the season with different knee injuries, while Post has been sidelined with a foot injury over the past few weeks. In regard to Post, the Warriors announced that he would be re-evaluated sometime this week, and while the results of that have yet to be determined, there is a chance he could get back on the court soon, should Golden State at least advance past Los Angeles.
Al Horford & Quinten Post injury updates:
The Warriors are playing the Clippers in the ‘9-10 matchup’ in the Western Conference side of the Play-In Tournament, as those are the respective seeds the two sides finished in the regular season.
It’s a win-or-go-home game for both; however, whoever wins will have the chance to extend their season in the second round of the Play-In.
The winner of the game will play the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The winner of that will become the eighth seed in the NBA Playoffs, set to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. That series is set to start on Sunday.
The No. 10 seed Golden State Warriors will play the No. 9 seed LA Clippers at Intuit Dome on Wednesday, April 15, in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Western Conference 9/10 seed game:
It remains an uphill battle for the Warriors to get out of the Play-In Tournament, let alone playing the Thunder in the first round. But as Curry said, he is grateful to continue playing more games, regardless of the team’s chances in each of them.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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