The Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics averaged 5 million viewers, representing an 18% decline from last year's window. Despite the decline, it was the most watched game of the season thus far. 

At least four out of the five games saw a decline from last year, with figures not available for the Warriors-Nuggets matchup.

The opening game between the Bucks and Knicks averaged 2.49 million viewers, down 39% from the Sixers-Knicks last year.

The Mavs-Suns game was down 42% with 1.47 million viewers, with the Sixers-Heat down 73% with 1.3 million viewers.

All three NFL games on Monday averaged more than 27 million viewers. 

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is undertaking several steps before he can return to the team. Green is currently serving an indefinite suspension, after striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a game on December 12.

Green isn't expected to return to the Warriors for practices or conditioning until early-January. Overall, the veteran forward's suspension is expected to last 11-to-13 games.

Before he can return, Green has to prove to several parties that he's making progress on anger issue that have hampered his career. In addition to regular counseling sessions, Green has been meeting with officials from the Warriors, his agency, the NBA and the NBPA. Those meetings are meant to chart Green's progress as he works toward a return to Golden State.

The Golden State Warriors owned the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft and used it on James Wiseman despite having an opportunity to draft the likes of future All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and LaMelo Ball.

During his workout with the Warriors, Haliburton allowed himself to imagine the possibility of joining Stephen Curry.

“Yeah, I did,” Haliburton told Tim Kawakami in a phone interview this week. “I was disappointed that they (had) the No. 2 pick because I felt like if they were anywhere out of the top three, I felt like I was going to be the pick.”

At the time, it would have been difficult for the Warriors to justify such a high selection on Haliburton.

Haliburton fell to the Sacramento Kings at No. 12 and then traded him to the Indiana Pacers in 2022.

“I hold no ill will towards them, but yeah, it definitely would’ve been a good fit,” Haliburton said of the Warriors. “But hey, they won a championship the next year, so I’m sure they’re not regretting it too much.”

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has begun counseling. He's expected to remain indefinitely suspended for at least the next three weeks.

The NBA suspended Green indefinitely after he struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face on December 13. The NBA cited Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts when announcing the suspension.

This is Green's second suspension of the current season. He was previously suspended for five games after putting Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves in a chokehold during a game in November.

Stephen Curry spoke in depth with Draymond Green following the incident in November with Rudy Gobert, which led to a five-game suspension.

Green spoke with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne about what went through his mind in what was a similar conversation he had with Curry.

"When I watched it back, I said, 'Damn, I held him much longer than I realized in that moment,'" Green said. "But the reality is, in those moments, you don't know what time is. You don't have a sense of time."

Green compared the feeling to the intensity of Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.

"I had no clue," he said. "You don't have a sense of time during these things. It's spur of the moment. Everything's moving, everything's going."

Curry and Green have been teammates since 2012 and are known to have a close professional relationship. 

"That's the conversation we had," Curry told ESPN. "I was like, 'I worry less about what you did, but more the why and how it happened.'

"We've been together so long, he's told me about a lot of the stuff that's happened to him personally along the way. There are a lot of stressors. ... But we all breathe life from him. I don't know anybody who can replace that. He's such a barometer for how we're playing, how motivated we are. His effect on the room is strong. So it's a blessing and a curse."

Green relayed the message Curry had for him after the Gobert incident.

"Steph just said to me, 'Listen, you're going to do what you do because that's your role. But we need your performance,'" Green recalled. "'But I'm not going to tell you how to be you because I can't do that. I'm not going to tell you to change. Only going to tell you, whatever you have to do, we need you on the court. I need you on the court.'

"I could appreciate that because I'm never going to go to Steph and say, 'Hey, man, we need you to stop shooting.'"

The Golden State Warriors have made a change to their starting lineup with Andrew Wiggins moving to a reserve role and Brandin Podziemski starting in his place.

Jonathan Kuminga will also move into the starting lineup in place of Draymond Green, who is on an indefinite suspension.

Wiggins has had a slow start to the season, while Podziemski has played solid rotation minutes as a rookie.

The decision by the NBA to suspend Draymond Green indefinitely was reached in consultation with the Golden State Warriors and Green's camp.

“We understand there’s a punishment that will take place but this is also about helping somebody," said Mike Dunleavy Jr. "They 100 percent agreed. So did Draymond.”

Green will remain around the Warriors during his suspension. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported that the sides are discussing a counseling path. The indefinite suspension allows Green the time he might need to "deal with the challenges he's facing."

Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA after striking Jusuf Nurkic in Tuesday's loss by the Golden State Warriors to the Phoenix Suns. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected.

The NBA's statement indicated that the suspension took into account Green's "repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts." 

Green was recently suspended five games by the NBA after grabbing Rudy Gobert by the neck.

Green will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play. 

Green re-signed with the Warriors last offseason on a four-year, $100 million contract.

Before the start of the season, the Golden State Warriors offered Klay Thompson an extension worth approximately $48 million over two seasons, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Thompson will become an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason if he doesn't sign an extension before then.

Thompson is making $43.2 million this season in the final year of his five-year, $190 million contract signed in the 2019 season following his ACL tear. Thompson missed the entirety of the first two seasons of the deal recovering from the ACL and subsequent Achilles injury. 

This season, Thompson is averaging 15.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30.0 minutes over 22 games. Thompson is shooting a career low 34.3 percent on three-pointers.

Klay Thompson was on the bench down the stretch of the Golden State Warriors loss at the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Thompson said it felt "strange" to be on the bench in the clutch, but that it was "deserved".

Thompson said, "I've been playing like crap" when asked about not being in the game late. He said Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn't give him an explanation for the benching, but that he doesn't need one either.

“I trust Steve. I trust Steve now and forever will," Thompson said.

The veteran guard is in the midst of the worst season of his career. Thompson is shooting under 40% from the field for the first time, as he's at 39.7% on the season. Thompson is also at a career-worst from behind the arc at 34.3%. That's led to the long-time Warrior averaging 15.4 points, which is Thompson's lowest mark since his rookie season.