The NBA has suspended Warriors forward/center Draymond Green indefinitely, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The league confirmed the news in a press release.
The suspension will begin immediately and Green “will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play,” per the NBA.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), it sounds like part of those conditions will consist of Green receiving counseling following his latest incident, which involved striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head on Tuesday (video link). He received a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game.
While Green has been unapologetic about previous incidents, he claimed hitting Nurkic was unintentional.
“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.
“… You guys have known me long enough, if I intended to do something, I am not apologizing. But I did make contact with him, so I do apologize. … It’s a hard hit.”
As was the case when he was suspended for one game during last season’s playoffs for stomping on the chest of Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and once again after he received a five-game ban for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock last month, the NBA cited Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” as a factor in his indefinite suspension.
Sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Green, his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. are expected to meet on Thursday to discuss “a path of counseling and help for Green to move forward.”
According to Wojnarowski, the NBA “didn’t want to put a specific number” on Green’s suspension, as the league wants him to “take the time he might need to deal with challenges he’s facing.”
It’s unclear what specific “challenges” Wojnarowski is referring to, but obviously Green’s behavior has become increasingly unhinged over the past year-plus. He wasn’t suspended for it, but he also punched former teammate Jordan Poole in the face during last season’s training camp, essentially torpedoing Golden State’s odds of defending its title before the 2022/23 season even began.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT hears Green will be able to practice with the Warriors during the indefinite suspension, which is an odd wrinkle in an unusual situation (Twitter link).
A former Defensive Player of the Year who has anchored the Warriors’ defense during four championships over the past nine years, Green re-signed with Golden State as a free agent over the summer, inking a four-year, $100MM contract.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Green will be docked $153,931 per game if he’s suspended fewer than 20 games. That figure will increase to $202,922 per contest if Green’s suspension exceeds 20 games. The Warriors, meanwhile, will reduce their projected luxury tax payment by $519,555 for each game Green is suspended, according to Marks (Twitter link).
There isn’t an obvious replacement for Green’s role on the Warriors, but it could result in more playing time for young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and perhaps Trayce Jackson-Davis, as well as veterans Dario Saric and Kevon Looney.
That works!
This actually does work. It’s not a certain amount of games where he just Waits it out and then comes back. Whether it’s 10, 20 or 30 games.
This actually has hoops to jump through. Almost like a parent saying, “we’ll see how it goes. We’ll see how you do.”
I think it’s a good move to perhaps hopefully Shake Draymond free from this career long series of inappropriate behavior.
Yeah, I agree. Just giving him a set amount of games with no conditions for return wouldn’t mean anything to Draymond. I’m not sure this will change anything either but at least he needs to show some kind of effort before returning. Dude is an absolute clown right now.
Bro say what you want about his nut shots back in the day, but CtFO Nurk grabbed him illegally and when he spun around blind he hit him with an open hand I mean F off with this BS…
Sabonis never gets stepped on if he doesnt put Greens ankle in a arm lock to stop him on a fast break while Sabonis is down. You grab my ankle as I run and get stepped on thats on you.
Tell me this how many NBA players wouldnt put Gobert in a head lock if given the chance? He should have released him faster but even that is a questionable suspension in the middle of an ongoing scrap.
Punching Poole is the only thing he straight did in what the last 5 years with no mitigating circumstances.
But yeah Refs F the Ws all day. League Fs Dray all day. Steph gets such a disrespectful whistle.
I want what ur smoking. Nurkic was holding him a little but that doesn’t justify a backhand to the face. Clearly intentional.
I actually agree that sabonis’ role is overlooked, he shouldn’t have grabbed draymond, but 2 wrongs don’t make a right. If someone makes fun of u ur not justified in killing them.
And the chokehold was some ufc behavior, not sure how ur trying to justify that happening on a basketball court , especially when the fight didn’t even involve gobert or green and green seized the opportunity for his bs
Chapman, In the NBA the guy who retaliates usually is the one who gets caught.
Especially because he’s now pissed off they didn’t call the first grab so he escalates it with and even bigger action.
The trick is to keep your cool, let the ref make the call, then go from there.
Problem is Draymond cannot keep his cool. He cannot allow something to happen to him which is a violation and walk away from it. He retaliates times 10 and that is the problem.
I’ve been saying it for years – Dirty Draymond is bad for the game. The worst is yet to come. You forgot the blatant eye rake on Jokic during their last run. He should have been suspended for the rest of the playoffs that year. His hand was in the shape of a hook (if you play the game you know that is not natural) and he intentially raked Jokic across the eyes. The Warriors are no legacy. The only reason they won the first time against the Cavs was because Irving and Love were both unable to play. After they lost to LeBron they brought in KD, second best player in the league, because they knew that was the only way they could win. And the last win was only possible because Murray was out and Jokic gave up after the league ignored Draymond’s vicious attack. Hardly a dynasty – the Warriors lost more big games than they won – the Cavs, the Raptors, the Lakers (multiple times). Pathetic team, pathetic organization that has allowed their Players to become mouth guard chewing, towel over their heads, pouty, violent spoiled little children.
I want to bench Draymond and Klay.
These guys are worth $10 million a year.
Bout time!
Indefinitely for doing what???? Warrios and Draymond need to appeal immediately! This is just way too Fing much now! The league is so soft and so anti-warriors Adam Slivers wants them to fail so bad so he gets Draymond suspended such a ego move the Draymond haters will be happy. How about suspending ppl who have actually done bad and terrible stuff instead of Ja and Draymond.
This actually just has to be a troll hoping to get slammed by people responding. There is nobody rational that actually believes this
I am not trolling what are you talking about? Anybody that knows and like Draymond knows this is complete BS
And anyone who’s followed this site for a minute knows who this is asfanintheuk
aka MartyMcRae
Yup
I honestly can’t remember the last username he used, he blocked me within an hour of his first comment.
I have no idea who those ppl are you must have me mistaken bud.
There is a reason that he has some many flagrant 2 fouls. I think this is the right call, he should be suspended indefinitely. I watched the replay many times, to me it looked intentional.
Marble smooth brain
Not a troll – but for an on court incident that isn’t clear – an indefinite suspension is BS. Union should be involved and active – this isn’t some off court issue that needs time to develop its a flagrant 2 foul. Typically its zero to one game suspension – so it’s either zero, 1 game or 5 games in this case – but indefinite isn’t within league actions.
Im a Bulls fan – nothing to be gained here – but the league has to follow protocol for on court incidents – it’s basically the only thing they really need to define.
Your clearly trolling lol
This is his second “on court incident” in less than a month and third ejection in the season
Last time he was suspended 5 games and that obviously didn’t even faze him
Hopefully this time he will pay attention
Dude unintentional open handed slap as getting spun around as a result of the Nurk foul first. Shouldnt have even been an F2 since it wasnt intentional with no closed hand or you know vision of Nurk until the second his arm hit him.
He apologized when Nurk fouled him first even GTFO here…
“getting spun around as a result of the Nurk foul first” wow! That is insane. Now try watching the same replay but this time without taking shrooms.
Try actually watching the play before s*** talking Draymond you hater!
Always with excuses Chapman, Dray has way too many “accidents”.
I hope you are being facetious. Green is a jerk who should be out for the rest of the year.
He’s obviously trolling, not worth giving him the response he’s clearly looking for.
Terrible take for a Draymond hater relax Karen.
Brand new username with a horrendous take.
I have the same username dude what are you talking about???
Yeah let’s just having everyone hitting people in the face like it’s mma. That’s an excellent representation of a league who markets itself to kids!
ppl like you scream how soft the league is but according to the analysis whenever something physical happens you all whine and cry and beg them to get suspended or how bad of a person they are. Make it make sense is the league soft or is it not?
Soft has nothing to do with chest stomps, headlocks, and hooks to the head.
He’d never last in a game, much less the league, if he was around in the 90s before the NBA did, in fact, get soft as far as posting, checking, etc.
Dude is a mediocre basketball talent privileged to play at the game’s highest level and chooses to be a wannabe “bad boy” but is only a clown.
Chest stomped because the guy on the ground grabbed his foot. Nobody else in the league gets more than tossed from the one game for a headlock like that. No intention on the Nurk hit with an open flailing hand as he spins almost 360 degrees around…
Try a little harder hater, and maybe watch any of the plays in question…
The league isn’t anti-Warriors. If anything they protect the Warriors. The Warriors are the most valuable team in the NBA, they bring ratings and Steph sells merch.
Joe Dumars is the dean of discipline for the league. When Dray was growing up he literally hung out at Dumars’ house, he didn’t want to do this.
The league is 100% anti-warriors and if you don’t think otherwise you are clueless or just another Warriors/Draymond hater league has never protected the Warriors lol league is still salty that KD came to them and they kept on winning then when KD left they won another ring that pissed Adam Silver all the way off to pay the refs to rig it for them. But I agree with you on the Warrior’s valuable team and Joe Dumars’ part.
SWDTNBA – It has to hurt you to be this dumb, right?
@MC Tim C It has to hurt you to be so anti-warriors waking up hating on them. Curry gets zero calls all the time sorry they own your franchise buddy stay mad maybe since the league is so against them you team can get a win! Hope you get the help you need.
Watch any Ws game and the whistle is ludicrous. They started the year with a 2-8 road home schedule and had what 4 back to backs in the first 12 games…
Like the reffing in the Lakers series last season was such a joke and tossed 2 of the games to the Lakers in blatant fashion. Steph gets no calls ever and is held, pushed, and bumped while shooting on almost every play.
They lost because they shoot poorly especially the 3’s. You live by the 3, you die by the 3. -_-
LOL!!!
This team is too old and management was not smart enough to trade of the pieces before they are basically worthless. Look at Klay Thompson, father time caught up with him and he is a shell of his former self. They had chances to retool this team and failed to.
Green is a bum and doesn’t belong in this league.
LOL!!!
Another Warriors hater sorry to break it to you but the warriors aren’t done yet they are used to being slept on. You are completely wrong with Klay has nothing to do with “Father Time” you try and come back off a torn ACL and Achilles right! But the he best part is Draymond will still be in the league whether you like it or not!!!!
Warriors suck anyways so what’s with the anti-warriors NBA and Adam Silver. They can’t help themselves.
18th suspension
Troll….
It’s about time
Good, finally.
Should be all season long. You can’t allow this guy to play and say you care about the safety of the other players on the court.
Grab your popcorn…
Mandatory counseling was a given. They made Ja Morant, Kyrie, and a couple others.
this is why ive hardly watched the NBA the last couple of years. It was getting fun but the league seems like they have no idea what they’re doing now. In league tournament was dumb af and the way they randomly pass out punishments without a proper structure feels like a school league. They let every player travel and treat their players like babies that belong to the league. It has become so boring, I miss the early 2000s days of basketball when it felt more exciting.
What the heck does what you said have anything to do with punching a dude? Did you mean to comment on a Hockey article?
When was the last time you punched someone with an open hand?
“DirtyDra” at it again ….
never going to learn. Till someone makes him.
Agree.
Draymond’s last 3 victims are all known to be soft euros (I know Sabonis is from the states.) That’s not including Jordan Poole whom Green outweighs by close to 100 pounds. I’d love to see him try that on a certain Serbian from the Nuggets. He’d end up face down like Markeiff Morris only it would be in a ditch somewhere east of Denver.
Yea!! Let’s take pride in punching people in the sport of basketball!!
Jokic did a dirty play on Morris and nobody said anything but good for him. Morris had his back turned
That’ll do Donkey
That’ll do
I was expecting 10-20 games and Draymond to act like it’s a holiday…
Now these conditions are there he has to back peddle a lot of his false bravado…
Draymond is a tough player. It’s what makes him great. Obviously he doesn’t care about penalties from the league. At this points it’s extra vacation for the guy. It’s like the kid in 8th grade that gets suspended from school for bullying every other week. His parents (Kerr) don’t discipline him the school can’t stop him. Someone has to stick up to the bully. At some point players on other teams have to stick up for each other or themselves. Someone hit the man back and his cheap shots will stop. It’s funny because in the NFL, MLB, or NHL he would’ve been put in place years ago by other players. The real funny thing is that my top two guys that I would’ve put money on not allowing another man to cheap shot them would be Steven Adams and Nurkic. I was wrong.
Funny part is that he is sorry now that he just found out he can’t bully the league any more. Once he sees how much money he will lose he magically said he was sorry.
I agree 100%
Very sad situation. One has to wonder why the Warriors let this dragging on without properly addressing it. I mean, Green is a tremendous athlete and they just sign him to a 4 years 100 million dollars extension but again where was/is the coach, or upper management to intervene and get the player some assistance when Green needed it the most??? Also, kids are watching good parenting or otherwise. It is just not the best example…
Agree. Kerr should have his players backs 100%, but at a certain point he is harming them by not addressing the issues with Green.
I also hope “indefinite” just means the league hasn’t decided on a number yet (since warriors play tonight). Then again how did they not have a plan in place, as if this wouldn’t happen?
Regardless, we need a hard number. Otherwise it just comes off like Silver avoiding a tough decision.
Good, this guys a lunatic
I don’t think Draymond can help it. He is just a dirty player that instinctually makes dirty plays in the moment without thinking about it. I bet the “indefinite” timeline will amount to 6 or 7 games and he will come back and have at least a couple more incidents by the end of the year.
I was also thinking this will be somewhere between 5 and 10 games. Wanna help me write Silver’s statement? “I’ve talked with Draymond personally, and I’m satisfied that he has undergone counseling and now realizes the seriousness of his actions…”
it was all done to save some money against the cap. says right there. little more than a half mil per game.
Seems plausible, if dray didn’t have significant prior issues.
Report: NBPA looking to hire Shyam Das to represent Draymond.
Is Dray’s contract guaranteed?
Call this a “Lifetime Achievement” suspension so to speak…
And they said Green is better than Dennis Rodman…lol
Well that escalated quickly.
Suspension should be 25 games with no pay and some therapy
It will probably wind up being something like that. I’m guessing around 20 games plus the things you mentioned.
I love how Warriors fans condone violence. It’s like you are the only ones who don’t see it. Draymond is a thug. He has a long history of violence. He’s done. The Warriors are over the hill and aren’t good. Steve Kerr is a trash coach that inherited what Mark Jackson built. He can’t develop young players. Cheers to the next 20 plus years on the bottom.
Indefinitely? Silver is such a joke, impeach that clown
Draymond pushes that line of fair play. It’s “his thing” that he uses against players. Cause when you are thinking about it. Instead of just making a play. He’s got you, see.
Unfortunately he crosses that line too many times. At some point you are just a thug. Draymond has enough game. That he doesn’t need to do that. Time has come to “make an example” of him.
This should have happened after the chokehold he put on Gobert.