Draymond Green may be kept out of action for the rest of the week because of pain in his right knee, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn’t believe it’s a serious condition, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green won’t play against the Kings in Friday’s game, but he will travel to Seattle with the team.
“Just being careful,” Kerr said after today’s practice. “He still had a little inflammation this morning.”
Kerr added that Green underwent an MRI, which came back clean. Free agent Jonas Jerebko is expected to take Green’s spot in the starting lineup on Friday.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- Kerr was concerned that center Kevon Looney would be lost in free agency, writes Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area. Looney was an unrestricted free agent because the team declined his fourth-year option of nearly $2.23MM. He re-signed with the Warriors for the minimum, which was about $700K less than his option. “When we didn’t pick up his option and then all of a sudden he had a great camp and a great start to the season and a great finish, it was a little nerve-wracking thinking we might lose him,” Kerr said. “But it all worked out in the end for us. I’d really like to see him make some money and do really well for himself. He deserves it. And hopefully that’s here.”
- Kevin Durant plans to be open and honest about the free agency process next summer, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant said he believes he handled things the same way in 2016, even though he received a firestorm of criticism after leaving Oklahoma City to join the Warriors. “I’m like, ‘Man, there’s so much attention on me because I switched teams,'” he said. “I thought I did something wrong, but I knew deep down in my heart that was the perfect decision for me and I know that now I just got to stand on that, outwardly say it, and that will stop the speculation from a lot of people.”
- Shaun Livingston is focused on enjoying the upcoming season without worrying that it might his last with Golden State, Poole writes in a separate story. Livingston has a partial guarantee on his $7.7MM contract for next season, and the Warriors will have to pay him just $2.2MM if they waive him before July 1. That would save the team almost $20MM in luxury tax.
The Warriors had injury issues last year with Durant, Steph, and Iggy. They really were injured, but the old guys need rest and Kerr likes to give it to them.