Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green appears to have cleared the final hurdle for his return to the Golden State Warriors.
The NBA reinstated the Warriors’ veteran forward on Saturday after he missed the team’s final 12 games due to suspension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Sources told Wojnarowski that Green would likely need about a week to prepare to return to game action.
Green has been suspended since mid-December, when he was involved in a altercation on the field with Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green poses for a photo during an NBA basketball media day in San Francisco on Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
The NBA issued a statement saying Green showed a willingness to take necessary steps to address his recent conduct.
“Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to aligning his conduct with the standards expected of NBA players,” the league said in a statement. “He has held meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives from the NBA, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association, which will continue throughout the season.”
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Last month, ESPN reported that Green was attending virtual meetings with team officials, players’ union representatives and the NBA in an effort to track his progress toward reinstatement.
Green is represented by the founder of Klutch Sports rich paul. The powerful sports agent, along with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., were believed to be part of the group that participated in the meetings.
The sessions were part of what the NBA described as “certain league and team conditions” that Green had to meet before he was allowed to return to his team.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts against the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 12, 2023. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed his support for Green shortly after the suspension was announced.
“The one who strangled Rudy, the one who savagely whipped Jusuf, the one who beat Jordan [Poole] last year, that’s the guy that needs to change,” Kerr said the day after the league announced Green’s suspension.
“This isn’t just about an outburst on the court. This is about his life. This is about someone I believe in, someone I’ve known for decades, who I love for his loyalty.”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) runs off the court after being ejected during the second half of a game against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 12, 2023 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Green signed a four-year contract extension with the Warriors in late June. He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and has long been considered a key piece of the Warriors dynasty that produced four NBA titles.
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Green lost just under $2 million in salary while serving the suspension, according to ESPN. Golden State is 7-5 in Green’s absence.
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