Draymond Green

Pacific Notes: Durant, Kawhi, Kings, Warriors Injuries

Speaking on Friday to reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns star Kevin Durant was asked about the team’s roster-building philosophy under new team owner Mat Ishbia. A series of aggressive roster moves since Ishbia’s arrival, starting with the acquisition of Durant in 2023, has left Phoenix with few draft assets and a limited ability to seek out additional upgrades, but the veteran forward lauded the team’s owner for his aggressiveness and willingness to spend big.

“I appreciate people that want to put in the work to try to get on that road to a championship level,” Durant said. “It’s hard. As we’ve seen, it’s tough, but just putting yourself in a position to try to do something. A lot people don’t even try to do stuff out here to be great. So I can appreciate somebody like Mat and the rest of the staff and the whole organization trying to put the players in successful positions to see what it’s like to go on the road to win a championship. Not a lot of franchises do that for their players.”

Durant also addressed teammate Bradley Beal‘s recent move to the bench, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). Durant noted that Beal’s playing time as a sixth man (31.3 MPG) is similar to what he was seeing as a starter (33.4 MPG) and suggested that the new role should give him more scoring opportunities.

“I feel like he’s just comfortable and understanding where his shot’s gonna come from,” Durant said of Beal, who has a pair of 25-point outings in his first three games as a reserve.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has rejoined the team after taking a brief leave of absence to be with family affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard would have been available to play on Saturday vs. Charlotte, per Murray, but that game has been postponed, so the Clippers won’t be back in action until at least Monday.
  • In a pair of stories for The Sacramento Bee, Jason Anderson explores why the Kings‘ fortunes have changed as of late under new head coach Doug Christie and Chris Biderman recaps the team’s latest impressive victory, a convincing road win over the defending champion Celtics that included a franchise-record 28 rebounds from center Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento is now back to .500 after falling to 13-19 on December 28, a day after Mike Brown‘s dismissal.
  • Warriors guard Gary Payton II (calf strain) has a chance to play on Monday for the first time since Christmas Day, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Friday’s loss to Indiana (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). However, Kerr isn’t sure whether Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury management) or Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons) will be available for that game in Toronto.
  • As for Stephen Curry (bilateral knee injury management) and Draymond Green (back soreness), it sounds like the two veteran Warriors will be able to return on Monday, but Kerr cautioned that the team will continue to manage both players’ health, adding that Curry has had some fluid build-up in the knee (Twitter link via Youngmisuk).

Injury Notes: Vanderbilt, Warriors, Agbaji, Richardson

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt hasn’t played an NBA game in more than 11 months, with his last appearance coming in Boston on February 1, 2024. However, he continues to inch closer to making his season debut, having been assigned to the South Bay Lakers for a practice this morning and subsequently being recalled to practice with the NBA club (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Vanderbilt, who made just 29 appearances in 2023/24 due to a heel injury, underwent surgeries on both of his feet during the offseason, then experienced a setback (fluid build-up in his left knee) in early December. He’s expected to suit up at some point in January, though he’ll be on a minutes restriction when he’s available.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • The Warriors will be shorthanded again on Friday at Indiana. Stephen Curry (knee management) and Draymond Green (back) have both been ruled out for the second end of a back-to-back, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle sprain), Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal) and Gary Payton II (left calf strain) will also be sidelined. On a brighter note, fourth-year wing Moses Moody is probable Friday after missing Thursday’s game due to patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, per the league’s official injury report. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis is questionable due to a left eye contusion.
  • Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji missed his first game of the season on Thursday in Cleveland due to a left hip pointer. He’s also doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s matchup in Detroit, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). A former lottery pick, Agbaji will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
  • Heat guard/forward Josh Richardson was technically active for Thursday’s win in Utah, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), though the impending free agent didn’t receive any playing time. Richardson has been plagued by a heel injury for much of the 2024/25 season, only making eight appearances to this point and last playing on November 18.

Warriors Notes: Losing Skid, Trade Possibilities, Curry, Green

The Warriors were hoping to snap out of their long slump Tuesday night against another team in turmoil, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Instead they lost by 16 points at home to a Miami squad playing without the suspended Jimmy Butler and are left with questions about how to stop a downturn that began before Thanksgiving.

“When shots are falling, everything’s nice, everything’s great,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said. “We can’t be front-runners; we got to dig in, we got to find our soul. That’s what Draymond (Green) kind of said. It was our soul that we’ve lost. We’ve lost our spirit, and we got to get that back and we got to play tough basketball. We got to play with confidence, stick shots and play hard on the defensive end of the floor, and I think if we do that, we’ll find our way back.”

The Warriors were doing those things early in the season when they got off to a 12-3 start and looked like one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They’re just 6-15 since then amid injuries, rotation changes and a mid-December trade for Dennis Schröder that failed to spark a turnaround.

At 18-18, Golden State is barely holding on to the final play-in spot and is about to head to Detroit, Indiana, Toronto and Minnesota on a tough four-game road trip. Coach Steve Kerr said the team is facing a “crisis of confidence” and needs to play with more energy than it did on Tuesday.

“We feel deflated right now,” he said. “And there’s no room for feeling sorry for ourselves in the NBA, in life in general. We can’t let disappointment dictate our approach to the game. We have to do the opposite. We have to bring more fire. We have to out-compete our opponents when things aren’t going our way. And that was what was most disappointing tonight, was I just felt like everybody was down and we didn’t have a competitive spirit. And if you don’t have that, you’ve got nothing.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Kerr mentioned “personnel” as a reason why his team doesn’t get many easy baskets or shoot a lot of free throws, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. However, he declined to answer questions about whether there’s any urgency to shake up the roster before the trade deadline. “Those are questions for (general manager) Mike (Dunleavy),” Kerr told reporters. “I love our guys. I love coaching these guys. I believe in them. I’m going to keep doing that. Those are front office questions.” Kerr said over the weekend that he prefers to see the current roster stay together for at least a month or so.
  • The Warriors need to make a trade “in the worst way” and it may take three of them to fix the roster, contends Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. He adds that Kerr has already tried numerous lineup combinations, but the team doesn’t show the same fire it has become known for throughout his tenure on the bench and the organization is in danger of losing the culture it has created.
  • Golden State might be shorthanded as the road trip begins Thursday in Detroit, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Stephen Curry is listed as questionable for the first game of a back-to-back due to left knee inflammation. Also considered questionable are Green (left ankle sprain), Schröder (left hip contusion) and Moses Moody (left knee soreness).

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, Lakers, Beal

Warriors coach Steve Kerr seems ready to abandon the 11- and 12-man rotations he was using early in the season, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Although Golden State had success with that approach while Kerr experimented to see how his new players fit together, he wants a consistent group on the court as the schedule becomes more challenging.

“Given the stretch we’re in … we’ve got to settle in these next couple weeks,” he said before Monday’s game. “Stick with the same lineup. Same rotation off the bench if possible and see if we can find some rhythm.”

He unveiled the new approach on Saturday, using Dennis Schröder, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green as his closing lineup and giving them all at least 34 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III and Brandin Podziemski made up the rest of the rotation. Jackson-Davis got the start at center and was used for some defensive possessions late in the game.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Warriors need to lean heavily on Kuminga and the rest of the young core to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, contends Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. That’s especially true of Kuminga, who has the best chance of any of Golden State’s young players to become a star. Kroichick notes that Kuminga has displayed more assertiveness recently, compiling 40 free throws and 29 rebounds over his last three games. “This is a young man’s game, we know that,” Kerr said. “It’s a sport that requires so much endurance, physical conditioning and ability to bounce back from aches and pains, and it just gets harder and harder for the older guys. If you don’t have a young core, you’re in some trouble. I probably feel better about our young group now than I ever have.”
  • The Lakers suddenly have much more frontcourt depth as Dorian Finney-Smith arrived in a trade with Brooklyn and Jaxson Hayes was cleared to return from an ankle injury, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Coach J.J. Redick frequently relied on small-ball lineups, as the team has been without a legitimate backup center since Hayes got hurt. “Night to night, it will be different,” Redick told reporters before tonight’s game. “Jaxson is our backup five. But there may be times that we play small. It’s just the reality. (Finney-Smith) has shown he can guard up. Rui (Hachimura) has really improved from where we were three months ago, playing him at the five in our first preseason game to where he is now. … And we know Doe (Finney-Smith) can obviously play at the five as well. So excited to have options for sure.”
  • Suns guard Bradley Beal had to leave tonight’s game after suffering a hip contusion in the first quarter, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team announced that he wouldn’t return, but no other details were provided.

Injury Notes: Leonard, Suns, Green, Harris, Banchero

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will not play on Friday against Golden State and he will not travel with the team for its upcoming three-game road trip, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). Leonard has yet to play this season as he recovers from a right knee injury.

However, the two-time Finals MVP continues to make progress — he went through a 5-on-5 practice on Thursday and he will practice with the G League’s San Diego Clippers while the NBA club is out of town.

Making sure he’s doing everything so this doesn’t occur again so we can kind of monitor the fluid and see how it’s working,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “So far it’s been really good and we just want to continue to keep progressing.”

For what it’s worth, Leonard released a vague teaser video (via Twitter) on Friday saying he’ll be back “pretty soon.”

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • The Suns will be without All-Star guard Devin Booker for the fourth straight game on Friday when Phoenix faces Dallas, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker is recovering from a left groin strain. Grayson Allen (concussion protocol) and Bol Bol (left knee contusion) will also be sidelined for the Suns.
  • After previously being listed as questionable, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green has been downgraded to doubtful ahead of Friday’s matchup with the Clippers, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. An eight-time All-Defensive member, Green is dealing with a contusion on the left side of his lower back.
  • Magic guard Gary Harris may suit up on Friday vs. New York after missing the past 13 games with a left hamstring strain. He’s listed as probable, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links), who notes that while Paolo Banchero is still out, his injury designation has changed from torn right oblique to “return to competition reconditioning.” Banchero, who hasn’t played since Oct. 30, has been ramping up his on-court activities, but he’s not doing contact work yet.

Warriors Notes: Payton, Curry, Green, Help

Veteran guard Gary Payton II will miss at least four games after sustaining a “mild” left calf strain in Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, the Warriors announced (via Twitter). Payton underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed the injury. He’ll be reevaluated in a week.

Known for his strong defense, Payton has appeared in 28 games this season, averaging 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 13.1 minutes per contest. He has converted an impressive 71.6% of his two-point attempts, but has struggled with his outside shot thus far in ’24/25, going just 5-of-32 from three point range (15.6%).

Payton, 32, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He’s also eligible for a veteran extension through June 30.

Here’s more on the Warriors, who are currently 15-14, the No. 10 seed in the West:

  • Golden State has a back-to-back on Friday (at the Clippers) and Saturday (vs. Phoenix). Two-time MVP Stephen Curry will miss Friday’s contest to manage bilateral knee pain, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays. Draymond Green (left lower back contusion) is questionable for Friday’s game.
  • Curry was at his best on Christmas Day, nearly giving the Warriors a comeback victory by recording 38 points — including a couple of clutch three-pointers late — and six assists. However, after he tied the game with a 31-foot three, Austin Reaves made a game-winning layup, sealing a Lakers victory. The Warriors need more performances like that from Curry to have a shot at another deep playoff run, but they also risk running him into the ground if they don’t get him more help on the trade market, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
  • In case you missed it, the Warriors had a player-led meeting prior to Wednesday’s game, with Curry being especially vocal. Read more details here.

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Gillespie, Suns, Lakers

Prior to Monday’s game against Indiana, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Jonathan Kuminga‘s recent shot selection and decision-making had been “poor” and that he had spoken to both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski about making better decisions, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays.

Kuminga responded with one of his best games of the season off the bench. In just under 30 minutes of action, he racked up 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists while only turning the ball over once.

“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said after the game, per Youngmisuk. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy (Hield) for three on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I’m really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. … He’s getting better, and it’s fun to watch his development.”

Kuminga started six straight games earlier this month, but has come off the bench for the past three. Kerr has suggested the change isn’t necessarily permanent, but noted last week that the club sets a better defensive tone with Draymond Green starting alongside a center. Kuminga, whose role has fluctuated frequently since he entered the league in 2021, said he’s gotten used to the unpredictability and isn’t letting it faze him.

“From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough,” Kuminga said. “A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, (they) keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”

We have more from around the Pacific:

  • Suns two-way guard Collin Gillespie, who was diagnosed last month with a right ankle fracture, is hoping he’ll be able to return to action shortly after the G League’s regular season begins next week, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I haven’t really talked to the coaches about it, but I’m sure that’ll be the plan of making sure I check off all the boxes here, individual workouts,” Gillespie said. “Play 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and just build it up until I’m ready to go 5-on-5. Then I’m sure once they get back from break (between the Winter Showcase and regular season), they’ll have some home games that I’ll be able to play. Hopefully get some reps there.” The Valley Suns, Phoenix’s NBAGL affiliate, will play their first regular season game next Monday.
  • A year ago at this time, the Suns had a 14-14 record. This year, despite an 8-1 start, they’re 14-14 again. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports explores why the team is being plagued by the same issues as last season and considers whether those issues are fixable.
  • The Lakers‘ offense ranks 29th in the NBA over the past four weeks and head coach J.J. Redick believes the team’s shot selection is a big part of the reason why, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes. “Over the last 13 (games), we’re taking five more non-paint twos – we’re shooting 39% on those,” Redick said. “… Those five extra non-paint twos, if we shot them at the same rate as Phoenix – who shoots 49% on non-paint twos – our offense would go from 29th to 27th. … If we took those five middies and we shot league average on threes, our offense would go from 27th to 12th. In some ways, we need to shoot more threes and we need to make more threes. That doesn’t mean we come down and just, no pass, one dribble shot. We’ve got to generate the right ones and we’ve got to do it with the right process.”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Schröder, Podziemski

The Warriors‘ worst loss of the season featured a historically bad performance from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. As Golden State fell to Memphis by 51 points Thursday night, Curry and Green were both scoreless from the field in the same game for the first time in their long careers as teammates. Curry was 0-of-7 while missing all six of his three-point attempts, while Green misfired on all four of his shots.

“First time for everything, right?” Curry said. “I never thought that would be a situation or a result of the game. From the very jump, they kind of punched us in the mouth. We didn’t have an answer. … That was kind of embarrassing.”

Coach Steve Kerr expressed the same sentiment after a night where nothing went right for the Warriors. Golden State trailed by 31 points at halftime and 46 when Kerr removed his starters for good midway through the third quarter. They allowed Memphis to set a franchise record by making 27 three-pointers and have now lost nine of their last 11 games after starting the season 12-3.

“You lose by 51. That’s humbling,” Kerr said. “So what I know about this team, this is the second time we’ve been blown out. We got blown out in Cleveland early in the season, so I know who we are. I know what our team is about. I know we’ve got competitors. I know we’re going to bounce back and we’re going to regroup, so I’m not concerned about that. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to execute.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • There were some spacing issues with the offense as Dennis Schröder played his first game since being acquired from Brooklyn, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Schröder, who was in the starting lineup as Kerr moved Jonathan Kuminga back to the bench, contributed five points and five assists in 22 minutes while shooting 2-of-12 from the floor. “It’s challenging (acclimating to Golden State) and I love that,” he said. “Coming to a new organization with great players, I want to see what they do first. Of course, I’ve got to play my game. But I still like to feel comfortable but it’s going to take a little bit of time.”
  • Brandin Podziemski should benefit from the Schröder acquisition because his ball-handling duties will be reduced, Gordon adds in a separate story. Gordon notes that Podziemski’s numbers have declined from last season when he had more freedom to get open for shots. “He’s best when he’s on the weak side,” Kerr said, so that when “somebody else creates, the ball starts to move, now he’s cutting, putting it on the floor and making a play for somebody else. I think we’ll see more of that now that Dennis is here.” 
  • Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle contends that the Warriors were wise to trade for Schröder rather than continuing their fantasies about LeBron James or pursuing a more expensive option like Jimmy Butler.

Western Notes: T. Jones, Schröder, Lyles, Thybulle

Spurs point guard Tre Jones has been cleared to return to action on Thursday vs. Atlanta after missing the team’s previous six games due to a left shoulder sprain, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Having also been sidelined for 12 games earlier this season with an ankle injury, Jones admitted it has been a challenging fall.

“I’ve never sat out this much in this season before, so it’s definitely been tough,” Jones said. “But the guys have kept my spirits up. My family at home have kept my spirits up.”

Jones isn’t the only Spurs regular who has battled injuries this season. Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins have all missed multiple games. Assuming San Antonio has better health luck going forward, Jones is optimistic about the team’s rest-of-season outlook.

“We feel like we’re in a great position right now,” Jones said. “We haven’t been necessarily healthy this year either yet, so hopefully we can maintain our health moving forward and we can continue to build. We’ve been throwing out a lot of different lineups and that can work to your advantage when guys are knowing that their name is going to be called. But, at the same time, we want to be able to kind of settle into our roles and what we expected coming into the season and be healthy.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Dennis Schröder and Draymond Green have had their share of on-court battles in the past, including in Game 6 of the second-round 2023 playoff series when they were hit with double technicals before Schröder’s Lakers eliminated Green’s Warriors (Twitter video link). But there’s no bad blood between them — in fact, playing with Green is one thing Schröder is looking forward to most as he prepares for his Warriors debut, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I feel really, really excited playing with Draymond,” Schröder said. “Like you guys seen, we were going at it. I knew him before. People were saying, ‘How’s it going to work?’ But we got a good relationship, even before that.”
  • Kings forward Trey Lyles is confident he’ll be cleared to return on Thursday vs. the Lakers, according to Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento (Twitter video link). Lyles has been on the shelf since November 25 due to a right calf strain.
  • Before he scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting vs. Portland on Sunday, Suns point guard Tyus Jones earned praise from Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who referred to the situation in Phoenix as “tailor-made” for the veteran guard, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “He’s a big shot-maker when put in those positions, but he knows who he is, more than anything,” Billups said. “He knows who he’s playing with, and that’s what they needed. He’s also a very scrappy defender. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for that, but a lot of teams attack him and go after him, and you got a fight on your hands when you do that. I’m proud and happy for Ty and (the Suns) did it right when they got him.”
  • Billups provided a minor injury update on Matisse Thybulle on Tuesday, indicating that the injured Trail Blazers forward is doing stand-still shooting on the court but isn’t cleared for contact yet, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Thybulle’s season debut was delayed due to a right knee issue and he subsequently sprained his right ankle during the rehab process.

Warriors Notes: Schröder, Trade Talks, Kerr, Green, Curry, Wiggins

The Warriors expect their trade with the Nets to be finalized in time for Dennis Schröder to begin practicing with the team early next week and make his debut Thursday night in Memphis, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The deal will reportedly send Schröder and a second-round draft pick to Golden State in exchange for the expiring contract of De’Anthony Melton, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, along with two-way player Reece Beekman and three second-round selections. It can’t be completed until Sunday when Melton becomes trade-eligible.

The two teams have been in sporadic trade talks for weeks, Slater adds. He confirms reports that the discussions at one point included a larger deal involving Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, but those negotiations fell apart. He hears that Golden State preferred a simple trade for Schröder, giving them much-needed scoring help without sacrificing any of their young talent. Schröder was the only player who had been discussed in the last few days, Slater adds.

Schröder, 31, is a veteran guard who brings plenty of playoff and international experience. He will run the offense whenever Stephen Curry is resting, but the Warriors also envision having them on the court together, according to Slater. Coach Steve Kerr has been running 11- and 12-man rotations for much of the season, but Slater points out that Schröder’s arrival is likely to mean reduced roles for Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and others.

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Kerr, Curry and Draymond Green were all advocates for acquiring Schröder because they’ve faced his German team so often in international competitions, states Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link). The trade won’t prevent the Warriors from “big-game hunting,” according to Charania, who adds that the team remains “active in the hunt for a star player.” He also points out that Golden State can aggregate Schröder’s contract in another deal before the February 6 deadline if necessary. The Warriors have been prominently mentioned in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, but other desirable targets could become available.
  • The Warriors weren’t happy about being knocked out of the NBA Cup with a controversial loss Wednesday at Houston, but it did give them a break in the schedule, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. They’ll have three days off following Sunday’s game against Dallas, which gives them the rare chance to concentrate on practice and film sessions. “I think it’s really beneficial for us to get some more practice time. During the NBA season it’s really hard to get really good practices in,” Kevon Looney said. “We get to work on all the execution things. The small things that we keep talking about on film. We can actually go out on the practice court and work on the kinks.”
  • Curry and Andrew Wiggins are both listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest, Slater tweets. Curry is experiencing inflammation in his neck area, and Wiggins is dealing with adductor tightness.