Heading into an early-season rematch against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, the Golden State Warriors will be fighting an uphill battle.
Golden State's 4-time NBA champion Stephen Curry has already been ruled out for the NBA Cup group play matchup due to a lingering illness, immediately tanking the Warriors' odds of coming away with a victory.
Fortunately for the experienced squad, the Warriors recently were given a few crucial updates with regard to the availability of 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, 6-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, rising wing Moses Moody and 20-year veteran center Al Horford shortly before the game.
"Draymond Green will play tonight in Denver," ESPN's Anthony Slater shared via X/Twitter on Friday.
"Jimmy Butler remains questionable. Al Horford and Moses Moody are now both questionable. Foot soreness for Horford. Lower back strain for Moody."
Though Butler, Moody and Horford's availability remains up in the air, the Warriors got great news in the form of Green's confirmed return to the lineup after sitting out for the team's 121-116 defeat on Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
His numbers have never jumped off of the page, but Green's undeniable impact as one of the NBA's greatest defensive talents should heavily assist the Warriors' efforts against Denver and their unstoppable force in Jokić.
In eight appearances for the Warriors in 2025-26, Green has contributed 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists while knocking down a blistering 42.9% of his 3.5 attempts from three-point range.
On the defensive side of the ball, the 35-year-old forward has remained his usual self, as he has compiled 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks and an excellent 1.9 defensive box plus-minus heading into Golden State's faceoff against the Nuggets' 3-time MVP.
In Golden State's first meeting with Denver on Oct. 23, the Warriors came away with a hard-fought 137-131 overtime victory despite Aaron Gordon's 50-point explosion. Curry scored 42 points, brought down six rebounds and dished seven assists of his own to push his team across the finish line.
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