There was excitement within the building when the Golden State Warriors brought back Gary Payton II via trade, but the joy soon evaporated.
It was revealed during his physical that Payton had a core muscle issue that could sideline him for months which put the trade in jeopardy. The Warriors ultimately went ahead with the move, but owner Joe Lacob admitted he is still angry about it.
“Very,” said Lacob when asked by Tim Kawakami of The Athletic about how mad he was after hearing about the failed medical. “I think we all were. We were shocked. Because, you know, on the one hand, he was playing (for the Trail Blazers), which would indicate he was healthy. But when you ask someone … they only have minutes to make these trades at the trade deadline. It’s kind of an honor code here. Forget what’s in the records, which you see later.”
“I think we felt that they were disingenuous.”
The Warriors had every right to feel aggrieved by the situation. They would have felt the Portland Trail Blazers didn’t negotiate in good faith and no one would have blamed them if they canceled the trade. It would be one thing if Payton had an injury that would keep him out for a week or so, but this one had him set for a spell of 2-3 months on the sidelines. The Blazers could find themselves in some trouble for this, as the NBA could fine them or take away some draft picks if the investigation reveals they failed to disclose relevant information.
Gary Payton II Spoke About His Failed Physical
Payton finally spoke about the situation toward the end of last month, where he admitted he wasn’t surprised that he failed the physical. He knows his body better than anyone else and knew that he was dealing with something that was serious.
It is just a bad look for the Blazers and teams around the league will be very cautious when dealing with them in the future. The Warriors would be hoping that Payton can return in time for the playoffs and help them defend their title. He is averaging just 4.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.5 APG this season, but it is his impact on the defensive end that makes him so valuable.
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