No more distance for the Golden State Warriors and veteran forward Draymond Green.
The 33-year-old, who has been away from the team on a league-imposed suspension since Dec. 13, will return to the Warriors’ facility in the coming days and will begin ramping up for a return to the court, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday.
Golden State’s Thursday night matchup with the Denver Nuggets will mark Green’s 11th missed game since he struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic during a 119-116 loss on Dec. 12.
The incident led to his second suspension of the season. The first came after he put Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold.
When the NBA announced Green’s current indefinite punishment, it said Green would “be required to meet certain league and team conditions” before he returns to play. He’s been taking part in individual counseling sessions along with virtual meetings with the team, league and union as he works toward eligibility for reinstatement, per Wojnarowski.
While NBA commissioner Adam Silver will have the last word on Green’s return, returning to the team to get back in basketball shape is the last step in the timeline. Once he is deemed physically fit to play, he will have met the league’s expectations, Wojnarowski reported.
Based on a separate report from Wojnarowski on Dec. 25, Green’s suspension should last 13 games at most. He could return as soon as Jan. 5 against the Detroit Pistons or Jan. 10 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
But when Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed reporters ahead of the team’s 121-115 win over the Orlando Magic Tuesday, it didn’t sound like he was expecting Green to be back anytime soon.
When asked how long Green might take to get back into playing form, Kerr said he wasn’t sure. Kerr and Green have had limited contact, only exchanging a few texts since he was suspended.
“We’ve been giving him his space, and he’s been giving us ours,” Kerr said Tuesday.
Tonight will be the 10th game of Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension. Steve Kerr said Green still hasn’t been in the facility. They’ve had some text communication. But no next step update as of now.
“We’ve been giving him his space, he’s been giving us ours.” pic.twitter.com/NMsOfKrSMV
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 3, 2024
That space allowed Golden State to give Jordan Poole an emotional welcome back to the Bay Area on Dec. 22. The young guard was traded to the Washington Wizards after a season that saw Green punch him during practice, an incident Kerr admitted was hindrance for the team.
The Warriors have a 6-5 record during Green’s absence, a window that has featured two different starting lineups. Third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga filled Green’s starting position in one of those changes. Kerr told ESPN Kuminga could potentially keep that role for the rest of the year.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
