Danny Green Says He Played with Groin Injury, Tear Undetected by Spurs

Danny Green played hurt in 2017-18, but as it turns out, he didn't know the extent of his injury until the season was over.

Green recently revealed on his Inside the Green Room with Danny Green podcast (14:25 mark) that while he knew he strained his groin in an early December game against the Boston Celtics, it wasn't until his exit physical at the end of the season that he found out he suffered a tear.

He does not know how long he played with the tear or if it occurred at a different time than the strain.

Green acknowledged his agent suggested he get a second opinion right away, but the guard trusted the San Antonio Spurs' medical staff, citing how well they had treated him in the past. And even with this latest development, he made it clear team doctors did a "great job" and "did everything they could."

However, he wishes he had gone to see a specialist, who perhaps could have been more familiar with the injury or seen something different. And this situation is why, as Green said on the podcast, nobody should blame Kawhi Leonard for seeking a second opinion on his quad injury.

The 31-year-old Green dealt with a variety physical setbacks (groin, finger and face) last season, but the guard still played in 70 games. His numbers suffered, though, as his field-goal percentage (38.7), three-point percentage (36.3) and free-throw percentage (76.9) all dropped.

Green picked up his $10 million player option for 2018-19, but he won't play in a Spurs uniform. Last week, San Antonio traded him and Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 protected first-round pick.

His groin injury was not the only topic on the podcast. Among other things, Green detailed how he found out about the trade and acknowledged San Antonio had a players-only meeting to discuss Leonard's injury.

In March, Green denied Adrian Wojnarowski's ESPN report that a meeting was held to try to convince Leonard to play; on the podcast, he said the team wanted to gain clarity on the two-time All-Star's status.