Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green appears to have cleared the last hurdle for his return to the Golden State Warriors.
The NBA reinstated the longtime Warriors forward Saturday after he missed the team’s last 12 games due to a suspension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Sources told Wojnarowski Green would likely need about a week to get ready to return to game action.
Green has been suspended since mid-December, when he was involved in an on-court altercation with Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green poses for a photograph during an NBA basketball media day in San Francisco Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
The NBA released a statement saying Green showed a willingness to go through the necessary steps to address his recent conduct.
“Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players,” the league said in a statement. “He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.”
Last month, ESPN reported Green was attending virtual meetings with team officials, representatives from the players union and the NBA in an effort to track his progress toward reinstatement.
Green is represented by Klutch Sports founder Rich Paul. The powerful sports agent, along with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., were believed to be a part of the group that participated in the meetings.
The sessions were part of what the NBA described as “certain league and team conditions” Green was required to fulfill before he would be allowed to return to his team.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 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 choked Rudy, the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf, the one who punched Jordan [Poole] last year — that’s the guy who needs to change,” Kerr said the day after the league announced Green’s suspension.
“This is not just about an outburst on the court. It’s about his life. It’s about someone who I believe in, someone I have known for decades, who I love for his loyalty.”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) jogs off the court after getting ejected during the second half of a game against the Phoenix Suns Dec. 12, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Green inked a four-year contract extension with the Warriors in late June. He was named the NBA’s 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 shy of $2 million in wages while serving the suspension, according to ESPN. Golden State has gone 7-5 during Green’s absence.
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