Warriors' Draymond Green to Be Reevaluated in 2 Weeks After Ankle Injury Diagnosis

The Golden State Warriors confirmed Monday that Draymond Green has a left ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

With the 2023-24 NBA regular season less than a month away, the four-time All-Star told Andscape's Marc J. Spears he had an ankle injury that was expected to sideline him for four to six weeks.

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

The Warriors signed Green to a four-year, $100 million extension in the offseason, a deal that symbolized a much larger commitment by the organization.

The "two timelines" plan is basically dead after Golden State was unable to balance the long-term development of its young stars with chasing another title. Now, lifting the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy for an eighth time is clearly the objective.

Bringing Green back also meant there probably wasn't a place for Jordan Poole. Head coach Steve Kerr expressed how he thought Green punching Poole at practice was an inflection point last year.

Given his age (33), Green is no longer the disruptive two-way force he was in his prime, yet he remains an effective defender and a fulcrum of the Warriors' offense. He averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 2022-23.

While Stephen Curry is the most important player on Golden State's roster, Kerr needs Green to help set the tone on the court each night.