Among the smaller moves of this NBA trade deadline was the Golden State Warriors reuniting with their defensive guard, Gary Payton II. In a curious move, the Trail Blazers sent him back to the city for just a handful of second-round picks.
For Dub Nation, it was a welcome sight for many as his passing and defensive prowess helped them complete a title run last season.
The trade also included two other teams: the Hawks and Pistons, who ended up with Saddiq Bey and James Wiseman as part of a 4-team agreement.
Warriors Could Lose Gary Payton II Again
But now, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the entire trade is in jeopardy after GPII reportedly failed his physical with a core injury that could sideline him for up to three months.
Gary Payton II — the Warriors high-profile trade deadline acquisition — could miss two-to-three months after a core muscle issue showed up in his physical on Friday morning, league sources confirmed to The Athletic, putting the four-team deal between the Warriors, Pistons, Hawks and Blazers in jeopardy. The Warriors ruled him as a failed physical on Friday, and have until Saturday to go through with the deal as a technical pass of the physical or rescind the entire trade.
The Warriors have time to decide whether or not they want to complete the trade or completely reverse it and send all the players back to their original destinations.
This was a surprise revelation to the Warriors during the intake process. There have been behind the scenes discussions on Friday about the possibility of amendments to the trade — or fully reversal of the deal. The amount of parties involved (four teams, four players) complicates matters.
Interestingly, Payton II played as recently as Wednesday against his former team, when he dropped 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal on 75% shooting. Apparently, he’s been playing through pain all season long.
Payton, according to sources, had been playing through pain in Portland. Sources added that the Blazers training staff had been pushing him to gut through it, giving him Toradol shots. This had not been relayed to the Warriors during the negotiation process.
Payton had abdominal surgery during the summer. The Blazers initially projected he’d be ready for the regular season. But his rehab lingered, his timeline kept getting pushed back and Payton ended up missing the season’s first 35 games, hinting after his return that he still didn’t feel fully right, mentioning a few setbacks.
It’s not unheard of for trades to fall apart in this manner, but it’s still a major blow to the Warriors, who now have to decide between keeping an injured player in a win-now season or sending him back to Portland.
Whatever they decide, it’s the last thing this team needs amid what has been a challenging and difficult season.
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