When it comes to ejections and suspensions, nobody knows about those things better than Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. With 25 ejections in his career and fines amounting to over $1 million, the controversial veteran has a knack for knowing when a player is going to get the hammer from the league’s office.
And in his eyes, Victor Wembanyama’s vicious elbow that hit Minnesota Timberwolves ace Naz Reid in the chin was undoubtedly worthy of a sanction, be it a suspension or a fine. Much to Draymond’s and everyone’s surprise, Vic got off scot-free, as he will reportedly not receive any further sanction for his violent act in Game 4.
According to Draymond, the NBA has placed itself on a slippery slope by setting a precedent that the T-Wolves must take advantage of. With the league basically saying that no player will get suspended for elbowing another, he implied that the T-Wolves should take matters into their own hands and get some payback on the San Antonio Spurs’ resident alien.
An odd decision
NBA history has shown that many players have received multiple-game suspensions for much less. It can be recalled that Draymond was suspended for a game during the 2016 NBA Finals for striking LeBron James’ groin—a decision that altered the course of history forever.
Dray found it curious that the league turned a blind eye to Vic’s malicious elbow to Naz, saying that if the shoe was on the other foot and somebody tried to take out the French superstar, suspensions would surely be in order.
“What if it was Naz Reid elbowing Victor Wembanyama like that? So if Naz Reid looked at Wemby, turned away, loaded his elbow right to the neck, and then followed through with the other hand as if to say, ‘Oh, that wasn’t a mistake. I didn’t accidentally elbow you. I elbowed you to put you down, and now I’m following through with my left hand to make sure you go down and get off me,'” Dray suggested. “What would have happened?”
“There’s intent, guys. There’s intent. Y’all won’t get him off me, so I’m going to do it myself,” he continued. “So, as I pose the question: what if the shoe was on the other foot and it was Naz Reid taking out Wemby? I think this situation would look totally different. There would be fines. There would be suspensions.”
Minnesota has to strike back
The playoffs are an intense arena wherein tensions regularly boil over, and tempers flare. The NBA has done a solid job of reminding players to keep their emotions in check by routinely imposing hefty fines on erring players. Nikola Jokic received a $50,000 fine for shoving T-Wolves wingman Jaden McDaniels, while Julius Randle was handed a $35,000 fine for escalating a heated situation, among other instances.
Dray, though, thought it was absurd that Wembanyama didn’t even get a fine.
“For there not to even be a fine is crazy. It’s crazy. And I’m not for guys getting fined. I’m not for guys getting suspended. But for there not to even be a fine, let alone a suspension, I think is insane,” he remarked.
In response to the NBA’s message, Dray said the T-Wolves players must take matters into their own hands.
“Hey guys, this is fair game. There’s no suspension. There are no fines. This is fair game. Who’s coming out there tonight or tomorrow night and doing it to Wemby?” Dray declared. “Who’s going to elbow him in the face?”
“That’s what I’d be saying. Who’s getting him? Because clearly there are no fines for this act. There are no suspensions. You may get ejected — fine. But you may take Wemby out of the game. So who’s doing this to Wemby?”
The NBA’s failure to act on Wembanyama’s malicious elbow to Reid has set a dangerous precedent, and it must be ready to reap the whirlwind come Game 5 if ever the T-Wolves decide to strike back.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
