The Golden State Warriors have been floundering this season without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. They have the worst record in the league (10-34), and just won their first game of 2020: a 109-95 win over the Orlando Magic Saturday night. Thompson isn’t expected to return this year after tearing his ACL in last year’s Finals, despite the sharpshooting guard wanting to get back out on the floor. Curry, though, was always expected to play again this season even though Golden State is far out of the playoff picture.

The plan was for Curry, who broke his left hand in his fourth game of the season, to be reevaluated in February with a plan on when he’ll return to the court. But after having his brace removed and doing some personal on-court work after practices, his return date could be on the horizon. The target date for Curry’s return is March 1 against the Washington Wizards, per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic. Thompson notes the date is not set in stone.

While a playoff push is out of the question when Curry returns, an early March return will at least give the Warriors star a chance to get his feet wet at the end of the season before coming back fully healthy next season. It could also give a chance for the front office to see which of these young players will fit next to Curry going forward, as the Warriors try to reshape the roster and make a return to being a championship contender when Thompson returns next season.

If the Warriors plan to keep D’Angelo Russell instead of trading him, seeing how he meshes with Curry would be beneficial. Golden State is already committed to paying Russell a combined $88.9 million over the next three years. His chemistry with Curry could have an impact on if Golden State wants to move him or not in the offseason.

Having Curry back could also impact the Warriors draft odds. Right now, as the worst team in the league, Golden State is all but guaranteed a high lottery pick in this year’s draft. If Curry returns and the team starts racking up wins that could lessen the Warriors’ odds of securing a top pick. However, the most important aspect for the Warriors is making sure Curry is 100 percent healthy. As head coach Steve Kerr said recently on a podcast, everyone would welcome Curry’s return.