Warriors' Draymond Green Expects to Miss 4-6 Weeks with Sprained Ankle Injury

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green confirmed he suffered a sprained left ankle and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

"I dodged a bullet and learned that today by the way it's (positively) reacting," Green told Andscape's Marc J. Spears. "Even with an MRI you don't see the trend of it immediately. The swelling is down."

Green missed nearly half of the 2021-22 season due in large part to a back injury, but he didn't have any such issues last year. He appeared in 73 games, averaging 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists.

The Warriors faced a potential inflection point this offseason with the four-time All-Star becoming a free agency. The two-timelines plan wasn't sustainable, and the front office had to pick one firm direction.

Golden State made it clear where its priorities lie by not only giving Green a four-year, $100 million contract but also trading away Jordan Poole in a deal that netted Chris Paul.

A new general manager, Mike Dunleavy Jr., might be in charge, but the organizational focus is the same as it was under his predecessor. The Warriors are doing everything they can to win another title as long as Stephen Curry is on the roster.

Green will once again be pivotal toward that effort. Even though his game has declined a bit, he remains a disruptive defensive force and a fulcrum for the offense.

Expectations are reasonably high for Jonathan Kuminga in 2023-24, and Golden State offered a tacit endorsement by not shipping him out like it did with Poole and James Wiseman before that.

Green's injury will put a lot on Kuminga's shoulders in the frontcourt if he's forced to miss regular season action.