As speculation continues to swirl surrounding Draymond Green’s return, a potential timeline for the Warriors star to re-join the team has emerged on the heels of his indefinite suspension.
Green, who was suspended on Wednesday, is expected to miss extended time, though ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski predicted Friday there’s a chance he could return to the Warriors by Jan. 1. If so, the forward would miss nine games from the date of his suspension, placing him on track to play Jan. 2 against the Magic at Chase Center.
“I think there’s an expectation that you probably wouldn’t see Draymond Green until, probably, at least, the first of the year,” Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown. “And that’s assuming things go as they hope they do, and Green meets the benchmarks, certainly, that are going to be put in front of him.”
In regards to the length of Green’s suspension, Wojnarowski cited the five-game penalty he received in mid-November for choking Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert as a benchmark, noting he believes the discipline “could ultimately take him, if not double that, maybe just inside of it.”
Although it remains to be seen how things play out, Wojnarowski’s prediction provided some clarity on next steps for Green less than a day after ESPN reported the 33-year-old would have to meet “certain league and team conditions” before he can resume playing.
The NBA’s punishment for the four-time champion followed his third ejection this season in an incident where Green punched Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face while jostling to gain offensive position.
