Warriors’ Steve Kerr Updates Draymond Green Injury, Role

The Golden State Warriors are expected to welcome Draymond Green back into the lineup Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center — but his return from a back injury may immediately force one of the most uncomfortable decisions of Steve Kerr’s tenure.

According to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, Green went through full practice on Friday and is on track to play.

“Draymond went through Friday’s practice and Kerr expects him to play vs. Lakers,” Friedell reported.

While Green’s availability is no longer in doubt, his role very much is.

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A Warriors Starter’s Role No Longer Guaranteed?

The possibility of Green coming off the bench gained traction earlier this week when Friedell floated the idea publicly — and then doubled down.

“I don’t know if it’ll happen by the end of this year,” Friedell said on 95.7 The Game, “but Draymond is probably best served coming off the bench, playing 18 to 20 minutes, giving a defensive jolt when needed.”

Days later, Friedell was more direct.

“They’re just a better team when Draymond is in these more limited minutes right now,” he said. “That’s just what it is.”

For a player who has been the emotional and tactical backbone of four championship teams, the idea of a bench role would have once been unthinkable. But the numbers — and recent results — are forcing a hard conversation.

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The Numbers Are Working Against the Warriors’ Pillar

Green’s offensive regression has been stark.

After opening the season shooting 43.5% from three in October, his efficiency plummeted to 28.6% in January and only ticked up slightly to 31.6% in February. Defenses no longer treat him as a threat, clogging spacing and daring him to shoot.

Even more damaging: turnovers.

Green is averaging 2.7 turnovers per game, second on the team only to Stephen Curry. The difference is in usage. Curry shoulders the offense. Green ranks 14th on the roster in offensive usage, making each mistake disproportionately costly.

The on-court results reflect that trend. The Warriors went 2–6 in the last eight games Green played, while their two most convincing recent wins — a 128–117 upset of Denver and a 133–112 rout of Memphis — both came without him.

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes put it bluntly, noting that Golden State’s offense is 3.7 points per 100 possessions better when Green is off the floor, citing turnovers and his inability to punish defenses that sag off him.

Green is minus-7 overall this season — a jarring stat for a player who once ranked among the NBA’s most impactful plus-minus contributors.

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Steve Kerr Signals Flexibility, Not Commitment

Following Friday’s practice, Kerr was asked directly about Green’s place in the rotation. His response was telling — measured, situational, and notably noncommittal.

“We have to read the situation,” Kerr said, per ClutchPoints. “New Orleans, we found more rhythm in the second half with Dray out there than we did in the first… some sets that we can call, doing some of our off-ball stuff.”

Kerr also acknowledged the challenges Green faces without Curry on the floor, calling it something the coaching staff has discussed “internally, and with the whole group.”

Translation: nothing is locked in.

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The Stakes Are Bigger Than One Game

Green’s expected return against the Lakers gives Golden State a familiar voice back on the floor — but also sharpens the spotlight on a roster crossroads.

Younger forwards like Gui Santos have thrived in expanded roles, while the Warriors’ offense has often looked freer and faster without Green anchoring possessions. Balancing loyalty, legacy, and results is now Kerr’s most delicate task.

As Friedell put it, the move itself may be less difficult than what it requires.

“You have to have everybody buying in to make that kind of move happen.”

Green may be back Saturday. Whether he’s back as the same Draymond Green — starter, closer, unquestioned fixture — is the real question hovering over Chase Center.

Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo