Report: Warriors to go through with GP2 four-team trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
After a few days of drama, Gary Payton II looks to be once again a member of the Warriors.
The Warriors will go through with the four-team trade that brings Payton back to the Bay, though Golden State will not pass Payton’s physical exam, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Sunday, citing sources.
The reported move allows the four-team trade between the Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks to go through as planned.
The Warriors had until 6:30 p.m. PT on Sunday to allow the trade to go through or rescind it.
Payton rejoins the Warriors after leaving in the offseason to sign a three-year, $26 million contract with the Trail Blazers. In the deal, Golden State sent former No. 2 overall draft pick James Wiseman to Detroit, while Atlanta received 2020 draft pick Saddiq Bey and Portland got Kevin Knox II. Seven second-round draft picks changed hands in the transaction.
After the teams initially agreed to the complex deal at the 12 p.m. PT NBA trade deadline Thursday, Payton flew to the Bay Area to take his physical Friday. But upon examination, the Warriors determined the 30-year-old guard still was dealing with a core muscle injury, which he had offseason surgery to address.
Payton missed the Trail Blazers’ first 35 games and made his season debut on Jan. 2. He played in 15 games before Thursday’s trade.
Charania and The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Friday, citing sources, that the Trail Blazers’ training staff pressured Payton to play through the pain of the core muscle injury and administered Toradol shots.
Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin defended his team’s handling of the situation, and a day later, Payton’s agent Aaron Goodwin denied his client used Toradol shots to play this season.
The Athletic’s sources clarified in a Sunday report that Payton had taken Toradol orally, not though injections.
While Charania and Slater reported that Payton could miss up to three months, a source told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson on Friday that there is “no exact timetable” for how long Payton will be out.
Shortly after the news of Payton’s failed physical broke Friday, sources told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole that the Warriors were mulling waiving the failed physical due to their desire to keep the defensive ace on the roster.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday, citing sources, that Golden State has made the league office aware that it believes Portland wasn’t transparent about Payton’s injury. Charania reported Sunday, citing sources, that the NBA is moving forward with an investigation into Portland’s handling of Payton’s medical information.
Per Wojnarowski, if the NBA’s investigation uncovers wrongdoing, they could decide to fine the Trail Blazers or dock them draft picks.
An indication that the Warriors were going to approve the trade came Saturday night when Payton was seen sitting with Warriors front office executives Bob Myers and Mike Dunleavy Jr. in the second half of their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center.
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Warriors coach Steve Kerr met with the media several times over the last few days and wouldn’t comment on the trade being held up. But now that it has gone through, expect, Payton, Myers and Kerr all to address the situation.
It took a bit longer than expected, but Payton is back where he wants to be, with the team that gave him his best shot to establish himself in the NBA. While it’s unclear when he will play, he’s now in the capable hands of the Warriors’ medical staff.
