Draymond Green

Warriors Notes: Thompson, CP3, Kuminga, Wiggins, Offseason

April 17th, 2024 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors wing Klay Thompson had his worst game of the season at the most inopportune time on Tuesday, as he went 0-from-10 from the field and was held scoreless in 32 minutes of action during Golden State’s season-ending play-in loss to the Kings.

It’s an inauspicious way for Thompson to wrap up a contract year, but his head coach and longtime teammates made it clear after the game that they still want to see the 34-year-old sign a new deal with the Warriors this summer, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

“We need Klay back,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “He’s still got good years left. And I know I speak for everybody in the organization: We want him back. … What Klay has meant to this franchise and as good as he still is, we desperately want him back.”

Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, who have won four championships with Thompson during their time in Golden State, agreed with Kerr’s assessment of the situation.

“(Klay is) going to make the best decision for him, the team’s got a decision to make and they’ll make the best decision for the team. … I don’t think there’s any scenario where Klay leaves and that’s the best decision for this team and organization,” Green said. “(The organization) has shown nothing but respect, loyalty, love and trust. I’ve got no reason to think, ‘Oh man, they’re not going to do right by Klay.'”

“I could never see myself not with those two guys (Thompson and Gren),” Curry said. “I understand this league changes and there are so many things that go into it and we’re not going to play forever, but we’ve experienced so much together and at the end of the day I know they want to win, I know I want to win, and that’s all I’m worried about.”

As Andrews writes, extension discussions between Thompson and the Warriors stalled in October and were put on the back-burner during the season. While Andrews suggests there were no reassurances from the team that the two sides would eventually work something out, there’s still reportedly mutual interest in a new deal.

Sources tell ESPN that Thompson would ideally like a contract that aligns with the rest of the Warriors’ core. Curry, Green, and Kerr are all under contract through at least 2026.

Here’s more on the Warriors as their offseason begins:

Tim Kawakami of The Athletic also explores Thompson’s upcoming free agency, predicting that the Warriors will make a fair offer, possibly in the range of $20MM per year for two or three seasons. If another team exceeds that offer, it will likely come down to whether Thompson wants a change of scenery or would take a little less to stay in Golden State, Kawkami writes.
Veteran point guard Chris Paul, who will turn 39 next month, made it clear on Tuesday that he doesn’t intend to retire, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be back with the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr told reporters that he “loves” coaching Paul and that he “really hopes” the Warriors are able to retain him. However, it probably isn’t practical for the team to keep Paul on his non-guaranteed $30MM contract, and the Warriors would lose any form of Bird rights if they waive him. Within his story on Thompson, Kawkami suggests that CP3 “almost certainly” won’t remain in Golden State.
In addition to exploring Thompson’s free agency and Paul’s future in his preview of the Warriors’ offseason, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) discusses the organization’s financial outlook and roster-building restrictions while pointing out that Jonathan Kuminga will be extension-eligible beginning in July. The Warriors spent a total of $382.5MM on this year’s roster in salary and tax penalties, Marks notes (via Twitter).
The Warriors have no interest in tanking and still plan to make the most of Curry’s remaining seasons, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link).
Within his look at what’s next for the franchise, Lowe suggests Andrew Wiggins is a possible trade candidate, but cites sources who say that Wiggins’ contract (three years, $85MM) may be viewed as a negative asset by potential trade partners, who would ask Golden State to attach a more valuable asset to take it on. Lowe adds that Golden State’s front office “remains very high” on Kuminga’s potential as the young forward becomes extension-eligible.

Warriors Notes: Dunleavy, Trade Deadline, Green, Curry, Kuminga

April 13th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t shy away from the challenge of taking over a dynasty in decline, writes Ann Killion of The San Francisco Chronicle. When former GM Bob Myers opted to leave the organization last summer, Dunleavy inherited the job of running a team with aging veterans and a record tax bill. The results in his first year have been mixed, as Golden State — two years off its last championship — needed a late surge just to secure a play-in spot.

“It’s a different challenge, as opposed to taking a team at the bottom and building,” Dunleavy said. “This job is, ‘Hey, we want to keep it going.’ That’s a challenge, but it’s one that I’m comfortable with and that I’m up for. But, yeah, it’s a lot of work.”

Dunleavy made a big move in his first days on the job, Killion adds, getting rid of Jordan Poole‘s contract by trading him to Washington for long-time Warriors rival Chris Paul. Dunleavy also landed two rotation pieces on draft night by selecting Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Up next is a challenging offseason that will include a crucial decision involving Klay Thompson, who’s headed for free agency after 13 years with the team.

“It’s just evaluating and seeing where we end up,” Dunleavy said. “Then, when it’s all said and done, we’ll see what decisions we need to make. But on the whole I think we have a good idea of what this team is and what we need moving forward.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Dunleavy explained his decision to stand pat at the trade deadline, telling Killion that Draymond Green‘s suspension factored into it. Green had recently been reinstated by the league, and Dunleavy was reluctant to pursue a major deal without seeing the full team together. “You certainly see how much we need him on the court,” Dunleavy said. “We’re not the same team without him. We’re really committed to this roster and felt like we just needed more time to jell. I don’t know of any trade that could have made us better.”
Dunleavy is determined to keep Stephen Curry with the Warriors for the rest of his career, Killion adds. The 36-year-old guard is under contract through the 2025/26 season. “I would say there’s nothing taxing about Steph — I’ll take that guy any day of the week, at any point in his career,” Dunleavy said. “We have to figure out how we build around him, because he’s going to be here — he’s going to be here forever. We have to take that all into account. But there’s a lot worse guys you could see the tail end of their career with.”
Jonathan Kuminga sat out Friday’s game and is listed as questionable for Sunday with a right pelvic contusion he suffered in Thursday’s contest, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He fell and kind of bruised his tailbone and is in a lot of pain,” coach Steve Kerr said. Curry, Thompson, Green and Paul are also questionable, while Gary Payton II is out, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Allen, Myers, Curry, Leonard

April 6th, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

It won’t be easy for the Lakers to reach the top six in the West, but they haven’t been looking like a play-in team, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. blew out Cleveland this afternoon to move into eighth place, which is the team’s highest spot since late December. With nine wins in their last 10 games, Anthony Davis believes the Lakers are ready for whatever challenges they face in the postseason.

“We’re very confident in our ballclub,” he said after posting 22 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks and three steals. “We laugh about, like, ‘Oh, winning nine out of 10,’ and we haven’t went anywhere [in the standings]. So, it’s how good the West is. But we’re confident, very confident in our ballclub and any time we step on the floor.”

At 45-33, L.A. is a half-game behind New Orleans and a half-game ahead of Sacramento in a tight race for seedings. The Lakers trail Phoenix by a game-and-a-half for the coveted sixth spot, but they’re two games back in the loss column and will need some help to catch the Suns.

“I think the biggest difference is just that we’re just having fun,” Davis added. “We’re holding each other accountable. If somebody messes up we’re yelling, screaming at him. But nobody is taking it personal. Because we all know what we’re here for, to try to win. So we’re having fun, we’re having a great time out there playing basketball, and we’re staying together.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns coach Frank Vogel indicated that he might consider replacing Grayson Allen with Royce O’Neale in the starting lineup depending on the postseason matchup, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Grayson has been our starter, I expect it to stay that way,” Vogel said, “but you get into or near the playoffs, everything is on the table.”
Appearing on JJ Redick’s podcast, former Warriors general manager Bob Myers said the team was never able to determine who provided the media with video of Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole at practice (video link from ClutchPoints). Myers said the organization conducted an investigation and even brought in a third party in an effort to find the culprit.
The Warriors will rest Stephen Curry for Sunday’s game with Utah, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga are both listed as questionable.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss his fourth straight game Sunday against Cleveland for treatment and recovery on his right knee, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Warriors Notes: Thurs. Win, Kuminga, Jackson-Davis, Green

April 5th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors all but ended the Rockets‘ season on Thursday with a 133-110 victory in Houston that widened the gap between the two teams to four games with just six left to play. As Kendra Andrews of ESPN notes, because Golden State holds the tiebreaker over the Rockets, the Warriors’ lead for the No. 10 spot in the West is essentially five games.

Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the Warriors relished the opportunity to deal a virtual death blow to Houston’s play-in chances, particularly after injured Rockets forward Tari Eason showed up to the game wearing a shirt that read, “Warriors, come out to play.” According to Andrews, both Thompson and Green faced the Houston crowd and yelled that phrase later in the night.

“That’s pretty lame, especially if you’re not even playing,” Thompson said of Eason’s shirt. “It’s one thing if you are out there playing, out there competing and you can back it up. But you’re just going to be trolling from the sideline? What are you doing? The time we talk smack, we’re out there competing. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Eason was limited to just 22 appearances in 2023/24 due to health issues and underwent season-ending leg surgery in March. Green said he’s looking forward to getting the opportunity to play the Rockets next season when Eason is healthy and that he hopes the two teams are fighting for a higher seed at that point.

“I love it [but] if you’re going to say that, you got to play,” Green said. “You can’t come out and say that and not play. But I know what type of player he is. He welcomes all of that. He welcomes the challenge and welcomes the fight. … Hopefully next year he’ll say the same thing and we both won’t be fighting for the play-in, we’ll be fighting for the seeding.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Jonathan Kuminga started 29 consecutive games for the Warriors before missing the past five contests due to a knee issue, but he’ll likely return to the bench once he’s healthy, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State has won all five of those games without Kuminga, and the new-look starting five of Stephen Curry, Thompson, Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Trayce Jackson-Davis has a +26.4 net rating during that stretch. “We’ve established something here,” head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Thursday. “If we’re playing well, we generally keep the same starting lineup.” The Warriors are “hopeful” Kuminga will be back on Friday.
Prior to the last five games, Green and Jackson-Davis had only played 92 minutes together this season, but Kerr has leaned heavily recently on that frontcourt duo, which now has a +16.6 net rating (and a 96.2 defensive rating) in 169 total minutes. “Trayce and Draymond together have changed our team,” Kerr said on Thursday, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “It’s pretty dramatic, the rim protection and rebounding that Trayce gives us and what that allows Draymond to do.”
Green is also a fan of the combination, suggesting on Thursday that playing next to Jackson-Davis gives him more freedom on defense: “It allows me to take more chances. Not necessarily chances gambling for a steal, but to clog the paint up, make extra rotations. If I’m the five, I’m the last line of defense. The things that I do off of instinct, reading the game on the fly, it’s hard to do that at the five because you’re anchoring everybody. So if I just run over here to cover up something but I’m the five, that’s leaving the rim unprotected. But if I know the rim is protected with Trayce, I’ll just go do it.”
Green’s tremendous defensive play since last week’s ejection in Orlando is a prime example of why the Warriors are willing to endure the veteran forward’s lows, knowing that there are likely highs around the corner, says Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Kawakami suggests that the Warriors have always taken a practical, big-picture approach with Green, who remains a key part of the team’s on-court success.

Pacific Notes: Vincent, Davis, Doncic, Green

March 30th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gabe Vincent has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game at Brooklyn, raising hopes that the Lakers guard can return to the court for the first time since December 20, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Vincent, who has been working his way back from knee surgery, was with the team Friday at Indiana. Coach Darvin Ham said Vincent continues to make progress, but didn’t commit to when he’ll be ready to play.

“Right now we’re just taking things one day at a time,” Ham said. “He’s increased his workload. So we’re in the process of trying to see how his body responds to that workload. And that’s as far as it goes for now.”

Vincent expected to be a rotation player in L.A. when he signed a three-year, $33MM contract last summer after helping Miami reach the NBA Finals. He played in the team’s first four games, then missed seven weeks with a left knee effusion. He returned for one game before doctors decided the knee had to be operated on.

“I really don’t want to even get into it too much,” LeBron James responded when asked about Vincent. “Don’t put too much pressure on him. When he’s ready to go, it will be a bonus for our team but he’s been out for quite a while. So, whenever he’s ready, we’ll welcome him back with open arms as a brother of ours, as a teammate of ours and we’ve been waiting on him, but at the end of the day, we’re putting no pressure on him. He needs to take his time.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers center Anthony Davis returned Friday after sitting out Wednesday’s game to rest his sore knee, and he doesn’t anticipate needing another night off for the rest of the season, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “Nothing serious,” Davis said. “That’s why I played tonight. I felt like I could play through it. Nothing that I plan to miss any more games for or have to be on a minutes restriction or anything like that.”
As Luka Doncic was leading the Mavericks to a comeback win at Sacramento Friday night, he was also taunting former Kings general manager Vlade Divac, who was seated at courtside, for not selecting him with the second pick in the 2018 draft (video link), according to a Eurohoops report. Divac, who resigned in 2020, opted for Marvin Bagley III in a historic draft blunder.
Draymond Green was ejected early in Wednesday’s game at Orlando, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident that he learned from the experience and will do a better job of keeping himself in check, relays Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We want him to play with that edge. But we want him to keep in control and he didn’t stay in control,” Kerr said. “He knows that. Thankfully we won. Had we lost, and I would tell you it would be a lot tougher for him. But we won the game and he knows he crossed a line.”

Warriors Notes: Klay, Green, Kerr, Curry

March 28th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors reserve shooting guard Klay Thompson turned in a masterful 28-point performance in Golden State’s 113-92 road victory over the Heat on Tuesday, when he returned to the team’s starting lineup ahead of standout rookie Brandin Podziemski. Anthony Slater of The Athletic makes the case for Thompson, who had been on the bench for the Warriors since the middle of last month, to remain in the first five after his big night.

“Get a little more spacing on the floor to start the game,” head coach Steve Kerr said of his decision to elevate Thompson. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s permanent. Just felt like tonight it was important.”

Thompson did indeed start the next game, a 101-93 win over the Magic. He scored 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field.

According to Slater, prior to the Orlando game, the team’s five-man starting lineup of Thompson, All-Star point guard Stephen Curry, forwards Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, and small-ball center Draymond Green in these two Florida games has outscored opponents by a margin of 55 points, across 157 minutes.

There’s more out of the Chase Center:

Green was ejected from Wednesday’s Warriors game against the Magic after less than four minutes on the floor, as the result of an exchange with referee Ray Acosta over a foul call. Curry and Kerr both weighed in on the impact of Green’s ejection, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “We need him,” Curry said. “He knows that. We all know that… So whatever we need to do to keep him on the floor and be available, that’s what’s got to happen. Especially at this point in the year. It was a tough way to start the game.” Kerr offered similar sentiments: “It was unfortunate. He deserved it. He’ll bounce back.” After the contest, crew chief Mitchell Ervin explained that the choice was not influenced by Green’s lengthy history of suspensions in the past.
One “influential” Warriors source seemed relatively unfazed by Green’s early ejection on Wednesday, Slater writes in another Athletic story. “What?” the source said. “Did we really just expect he was never gonna get ejected again?”
After the fact, Green seemed to agree with Kerr’s assessment of the ejection, according to ESPN. “I said what I said,” Green noted on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show. “I deserved to be kicked out at that point. If I’m all the way honest with y’all, kind of was trying to turn my body and angle it to go to the bench, but I said what I said a little too soon before angling my body.”

Warriors’ Draymond Green Ejected Wednesday In Orlando

March 27th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward/center Draymond Green was ejected less than four minutes into Wednesday’s matchup with the Magic in Orlando after an argument with official Ray Acosta, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

NBC Sports Bay Area has a video (Twitter link) of the incident. Green wasn’t even directly involved in the play — he was arguing a foul that was called on Andrew Wiggins against Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, who converted an and-one layup with 8:24 remaining in the first period.

Several members of the Warriors — including Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Brandin Podziemski — went over to Green as he continued to complain to Acosta. As Green was heading back to the bench, he had some choice words for the official, and he received his second technical foul, resulting in an automatic ejection.

Curry was visibly emotional after Green was ejected, per NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter video link).

Green’s latest incident comes at a critical time in the season for the Warriors, who hold a one-game lead on the red-hot Rockets for the final spot in the Western Conference’s play-in tournament. Both teams have 11 games remaining on their regular season schedules.

The Warriors were already playing without third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga on Wednesday — the second of a back-to-back — against a Magic team that has gone 18-6 over its past 24 games. According to Slater, head coach Steve Kerr said Kuminga is dealing with knee tendinitis, describing it as a minor issue (Twitter link). Kerr expects Kuminga to be active Friday in Charlotte.

It’s also a noteworthy development because it’s Green’s first ejection since his indefinite suspension back in December for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face. That wound up being a 12-game ban, and Green missed another four while working himself back into shape. He was also suspended five games earlier in the season for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock.

Green has now received 10 technical fouls in 2023/24, according to Spotrac, with six (including the two today) coming after his last suspension. For today’s ejection, he’ll be fined a total of $6,000 — $3,000 for each technical.

NBA players receive an automatic one-game suspension when they reach 16 technical fouls, so Green has a little wiggle room below that threshold. Still, the fact that he lost his cool again in a crucial game obviously isn’t ideal for Golden State.

On a more positive note, rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis returned from a one-game absence due to knee soreness and immediately went into the starting lineup in the frontcourt alongside Green, notes ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (via Twitter). Klay Thompson also made his second straight start after a big game on Tuesday in Miami.

For what it’s worth, the Warriors led the Magic at halftime, 45-37.

Pacific Notes: Green, Ellis, Clippers, Lakers

March 21st, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Warriors forward Draymond Green is getting banged up while playing the center position for the team, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. On Tuesday, Green dealt with lower back soreness and was listed as questionable against the Grizzlies but managed to come in and play well. He had a three-and-a-half-hour treatment session before that game.

Green is taking a proactive approach to his injury management so that he can stay on the floor as much as possible. Golden State is leaning heavily on the former Defensive Player of the Year as the team moves away from lineups featuring two non-shooters. Green doesn’t take the floor with Kevon Looney anymore and only plays alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis in short stretches.

Green being able to play center is helping the Warriors play Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga together, with that trio being a plus-70 in 377 minutes. Still, it doesn’t come without its toll.

“It’s definitely more taxing because at the five you are involved in every possession,” Green said. “At the four, fours don’t crash every time. You may not have to box out every possession. At the five, you got to box out every play. Fives are trying to get the ball every play. Even something as simple as that, let’s call it 20 more box outs a game. That’s contact. That’s a battle. So it’s definitely more taxing. But I’m cut out for it.”

Given Green’s injuries, Slater ponders whether it’s sustainable to have him keep playing the five or whether it’s something that could be avoided.

“I can do it. I’m cut out for it,” Green said. “I don’t overly worry about it because I know we have fives that are perfectly capable of taking over and doing what we need them to do. It’s not something I think about.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kings guard Keon Ellis began the year on a two-way contract but saw it converted to a standard deal. He’s impressing in an expanded role, with the Kings now 7-1 with Ellis in the starting lineup. Entering Thursday, the Kings were undefeated with Ellis in the starting five (before losing to the Wizards), and were outscoring opponents by 84 points when he was on the floor, according to FOX 40 Sacramento’s Sean Cunningham (Twitter link).
The Clippers seemed to lose their way in recent games after winning 25 of 30 games in the middle of the season, the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner writes. However, they found themselves again in a win over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, winning 116-103. “We just happen to be going through a tough stretch,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “But we know who we are. You’re not going to win every game. We understand that. We understand that we can play better. We understand that. But let’s start with executing on both sides of the basketball. We know what our identity is and who we are.” The team’s defense, in particular, stood out as Los Angeles continues to develop its competitive identity, Turner writes.
The round of 64 of the men’s NCAA Tournament kicked off Thursday, and Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times identified 10 prospects the Lakers should be scouting. Baylor’s Yves Missi and Ja’Kobe Walter, Duke’s Jared McCain and Kansas’s Johnny Furphy are among some of the more likely names to be available where L.A’s pick currently sits (No. 14). However, it’s crucial to note that the Lakers don’t have the rights to their own pick this season. As part of the Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers owe this pick to the Pelicans. As Woike points out, though, the Pelicans have the option to defer this pick to 2025 in what is considered to be a stronger class. It’s possible New Orleans takes its chances on next year’s class and lets L.A. keep its own ’24 pick.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Davis, LeBron, Green, Kuminga, Suns

March 18th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers have fallen back to Earth after rampaging through the league earlier this winter and doubt is starting to creep in, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There are legitimate reasons for Sunday’s loss to the short-handed Hawks, Youngmisuk notes. It was L.A.’s sixth game in nine days and the team has injury concerns of its own, but some players are pointing toward bigger issues.

“We want to be a team that’s consistent and we want to establish an identity,” Paul George said. “I’ve always spoken about having an identity and I think it’s extremely important. Right now, I don’t think we have an identity.”

The Clippers have dropped four of their last five games and are 8-10 since peaking at 34-15 on February 5. Russell Westbrook has been sidelined since the end of January with a broken left hand, and Norman Powell is dealing with a lower left leg contusion that had him on crutches Sunday night.

Tyronn Lue said the coaching staff continues to emphasize positive habits, such as protecting the ball, getting back on transition, hitting the offensive boards and spacing the court. However, the effort to do those things hasn’t been consistent.

“When they do it, it works,” Lue said. “When you have so much talent and you have guys that can do it so easily, they don’t understand that your talent is great, but the talent’s got to be for the team as well. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I got to do something a little different to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. … [But] I’ll never really overreact because I know we’re a good team … If you want to win, I know what it looks like. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers center Anthony Davis has shown improvement since suffering a left corneal abrasion on Saturday and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game with Atlanta, according to an ESPN report. Davis had to leave Saturday’s contest after being inadvertently hit in the face on a layup. His vision was impaired and his eye was swollen shut, but a source tells ESPN that his condition improved Saturday night and Sunday. L.A. is also listing LeBron James as questionable due to ongoing issues with his left ankle, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
While Draymond Green was away from the Warriors on his most recent suspension, he sent regular critiques to Jonathan Kuminga on his performance, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Those communications helped the pair form a partnership that has played an important role in Golden State’s surge in the second half of the season. Kuminga also credits Green for pushing the front office to select him in the 2021 draft. “He is one of the reasons I even ended up here,” Kuminga said. “Before they drafted me, he called [former Warriors general manager] Bob [Myers] and told him to bring me here. I think that was one of the greatest things to have ever happened.”
The Suns were unhappy with their defensive effort in Sunday’s loss at Milwaukee, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by a hamstring injury, Phoenix allowed the Bucks to score 82 points in the first half and 140 for the game.

Pacific Notes: Davis, Russell, Thomas, Gordon, Curry, Green

March 16th, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers center Anthony Davis was forced to leave Saturday night’s game against Golden State because of an eye contusion, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

The injury occurred in the first half when Davis was accidentally hit in the face by Trayce Jackson-Davis while making a layup. He was able to play a few more minutes, but was eventually removed and declared out for the second half.

Davis suffered from impaired vision and his eye was swollen shut, a source tells McMenamin (Twitter link). He will be monitored tonight and Sunday before a determination is made about whether he can play Monday against Atlanta.

While there’s no indication that this will be a long-term injury, ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out that Davis is just shy of the 65-game minimum needed to qualify for postseason awards and All-NBA honors (Twitter link). He was at 64 games before tonight, including the finals of the in-season tournament, but he only played 12 minutes and the league requires at least 15 for the game to count toward the total.

Davis is averaging 24.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 blocks, so he’s a strong candidate for one of the All-NBA teams if he qualifies.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

D’Angelo Russell‘s $18.7MM player option for next season gives him a lot of leverage in deciding his future this summer, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown (video link). Russell has become a major part of the Lakers‘ offense during the second half of the season, averaging 22 PPG and shooting 44% from long distance over the past 27 games. Wojnarowski points out that if L.A. wants to make a significant trade at the draft, the organization may need Russell to pick up his option and agree to go wherever he’s dealt.
Isaiah Thomas, who’s joining the Suns on a 10-day contract, is expected to eventually receive a standard deal to fill the team’s final roster spot, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Gambadoro doesn’t expect the 35-year-old guard to become part of the rotation, but he’ll serve as insurance heading into the postseason.
Eric Gordon was able to play 22 minutes on Friday night after missing the Suns‘ previous two games with a left knee contusion, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin expects Gordon, Royce O’Neale, Bol Bol and Drew Eubanks to form the core of Phoenix’s second unit for the rest of the season.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both returned for Saturday’s game, giving the Warriors a fully healthy roster for the first time since November, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Curry missed three games this week with a sprained right ankle, and Green sat out Wednesday’s contest due to lower back stiffness. “I still believe we’re very capable of rattling off a string of victories, and you just don’t know what’s going to happen above you,” coach Steve Kerr said.

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