Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Wednesday that he has never considered relegating Draymond Green to the bench. He also admitted that he hopes Green will finish his career with the Warriors.

On Wednesday, local time, Kerr responded to his heated argument with Green during Monday's game against the Magic after practice: the two got into a verbal altercation during a timeout in the third quarter, and Green went straight to the locker room. Although Green returned to the bench shortly afterward, Kerr did not put him back on the court.

Speaking to the media, Kerr admitted, "Monday night's performance wasn't my best moment. I should have kept my composure during the timeout. I regret my words and actions at the time. I apologized to Draymond (Green), and he apologized to me. We both apologized to the team."

“These kinds of conflicts are inevitable when two extremely competitive people—Draymond and me—are on the field. We’ve had similar situations occasionally over the past 12 years, and I’m not proud of it.”

Kerr further stated that he has no intention of using Green as a substitute: "Draymond told me, 'I'm willing to come off the bench if needed this year.' I know Draymond. He's only focused on winning."

"However, that's not even on my radar. I'm really excited about the current starting lineup: Stephen, Draymond, Moses Moody, Quentin Post, and Jimmy. I think it's a great lineup for us because Quentin's height and shooting ability relieve some of the pressure on Draymond. And Draymond plays his best when he's paired with Stephen, and he should be playing with Curry most of the time. The two of them are just fantastic together."

"To be honest, my primary goal is for him to finish his career as a Warriors player. We'll fight together—figuratively, of course—until we both leave. I believe that will happen. Because I believe in Draymond, I believe in myself, and I believe in everything we've built together over the past 12 years."

The Warriors' performance this season has been inconsistent, currently sitting at 15 wins and 15 losses, ranking eighth in the Western Conference. In response, Kerr stated, "As a team and an organization, our most important task right now is to help our players recognize the beauty of the struggle itself. The goals we are striving to achieve right now are beautiful in themselves."

"We are no longer the Warriors team that dominated the league in 2017. We are a dynasty that is declining. We know that, everyone knows that. That's why we need to think about: 'How do we stay in shape every night? How is our cohesion? Can we fight for ourselves again?' We did it last year. I'm incredibly proud of that team."