Warriors president Robert Rowell addressed the media about Monta Ellis before tonight’s exhibition game and explained why the team is fining him $3 million. Here is a transcript of his Q&A.

How did you get to a suspension of 30 games?)

We spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to make sure we had enough time for Monta to rehabilitate himself. We could have actually suspended him indefinitely but it was something that we didn’t want to do because I think our biggest concern is we want to make sure that Monta comes back and rehabilitates and focuses mentally on getting back onto the basketball floor. We felt that 30 games was an appropriate number based on that.

Estimation of how many games he might miss?

I’m not a doctor so I think it’s hard to see but I think based on what we’ve been told and where we’re at, I think 30 games is something that allows Monta to get the opportunity to get back onto the floor and get himself ready. To us it’s something that will incent him to get back onto the floor. Obviously after 30 games he’ll start getting paid.

Is he happy with a $3 million fine?

You’d have to ask him if he’s happy with it. I mean, I’m not happy that I have to give him a suspension for 30 games. I’d rather be anywhere but here and I would rather have been dealing with anything but this over the course of the last month.

Specifics that went into the decision?

Players operate under a uniform player contract in our league and when you violate a provision of the contract you need to be accountable for your actions. This is something that doesn’t happen a lot in the NBA. We’re in somewhat uncharted waters with this. There’s only been a couple incidents where people were injured while participating in prohibited activities. To us this is big for the organization. We made a commitment to Monta for $66 million to be a great basketball player. We’re in a situation where he is now not with us. We’re going to do everything possible that we can obviously to get him back and to help him rehab and get back on the basketball floor but right now we felt that it was an approriate consequence.

Is voiding the contract out of the question now?

Our expectation is that Monta fully recovers, he’s back on the floor and he has a prosperous career as a Golden State Warrior. That’s our goal and that’s what our focus is.

If he doesn’t recover fully can you void?

I think that that is something that we obviously have our rights reserved but other than that, that’s something that really isn’t an issue at this moment. We feel that it’s an injury he’s going to fully recover from.

What rights are left to you?

What rights are left?

The ability to suspend him again if he doesn’t recover?

Those are questions that I don’t have answers too today.

If he comes back in a lesser version of himself can you take another bite out of contract?

That’s something that we’ll review at that time but again our position right now is that that’s not what our goals and objectives are here. Our goals and objectives are to rehabilitate Monta.

Is his agent online with this?

You would have to speak with him but he’s not in complete alignment with us on this agreement.

Could you go further?

You’d have to speak with him.

Is this suspension based on the violation of the contract or lying?

Basically we took everything into account when we made our decision as to what we were going to do. From our perspective the critical point here is that Monta was engaged in a prohibited activity and violated the provision of his contract and is injured and because of that is going to miss X number of games. I don’t know how many that’s going to be, but that’s really where we made our decision.

Have all your questions been answered?

Yes. In fact that’s one of the things. When we found out the injury didn’t occur on the basketball floor then we had questions to ask. And when we had questions to ask we needed them to get answered. And then the answering of one question begs the asking of another and then obviously we’ll want to sit down with the representatives and have conversations and discussions and have face to face conversations, interactions and then make our decision.

Do you feel like they gave you the runaround?
I don’t feel like they gave us the runaround. I think Jeff Fried (Ellis’ agent) was cooperative. It was just difficult to get some of the information. It was nothing but just kind of logistically difficult. It had nothing to do with him. He was very cooperative.

Is the nature of the injury as described?

It was a moped and it was a 250cc moped.

Has his status with this team as leader taken a hit?

I don’t think so. I thought highly of Monta going into the decision that we had to make the other day and I think just as highly of him as a person. He’s a 22-year-old young man who has done a lot of great things to get himself into a position where he was to get a $66 million contract. We have faith in him that he’s going to continue to prosper and be a great player in this league. He’s got six years on his contract and he’s a Golden State Warrior and we’re going to work with him along the way. I think we can have a very positive relationship.

The reaction of his agent?

I think I was asked whether he was happy or not and I said you’d have to talk to him. But I don’t think he’s pleased with the number of games in the suspension.

Are others in your organization on board, Mullin and Nelson?

They’re in agreement with what we’ve done because they know that’s where we’re at.

Did you give them input?

No, and in fact, Chris Mullin made it perfectly clear to both Mr. Cohan and myself that he didn’t think this was a big deal at the beginning. And we happen to think it’s a very big deal. We happen to think that it’s a big deal for our fans, it’s a big deal for our season ticket-holders, it’s a big deal for our business partners, it’s a big deal for the Warriors organization. I’ve had discussions with Don and Don realizes and understands this is a contractual issue that needs to be dealt with at our level. He’s hired to coach our basketball team and he’s done a great job of doing that, and he knows that these decisions need to be made by different people.

Was voiding considered?

It wasn’t.

At all?

No.

Where does the $3M go, does it come off the salary cap?

It doesn’t come off the salary cap. It’s a suspension of the player and it actually will be a reduction in his salary for this season. It still sits on our cap for the year.

What will do with the $3M?

I can tell you this: Our season ticket-holders will benefit from the entire amount next season in their renewals.

— Lowell