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Draymond won't 'hold on to the past' after returning to Warriors

Jesse D. Garrabrant / National Basketball Association / Getty

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green returned to the team Thursday after stepping away last week following an altercation with teammate Jordan Poole.

"We had the conversations about what we need to do moving forward, and we're going to do that," Green said, according to ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "We are not going to continue to hold on to the past."

The Warriors fined Green for the incident but opted not to suspend him. The former Defensive Player of the Year will play in the team's final preseason game Friday and is available for Opening Night against the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday.

Leaked video footage released last Friday showed Green punching Poole two days prior. The 32-year-old subsequently announced he'd stepped away from the Warriors to "give guys space."

The veteran forward said he's now in a better mental state, according to Andrews. The Warriors allowed Green to return with the players' approval, including Poole's.

Head coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday that Green had broken the team's trust, calling the altercation the biggest dilemma he's faced since joining the Warriors in 2014.

"(Our) culture has been damaged by this incident," Kerr said. "You have to work to repair that."

Green said the altercation wouldn't affect his on-the-court relationship with Poole.

"Jordan is a professional, and I am a professional. We have a job to do. ... We're going to do just that," Green said. "I'm not sure (about our personal relationship). That's not up to me, nor do I think there is much relevance. We're paid to do a job, and we are going to do that job to the best of our abilities."

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