Gary Payton II has failed a physical exam, placing the four-team swap involving the Warriors, Pistons, Trail Blazers and Hawks in jeopardy, Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic report.
Payton has a core muscle injury that could sideline him for up to three months, according to the exam by the Warriors’ medical staff.
Although the trade has been announced as official, players still had to undergo physical exams. The Warriors have until Saturday to call the complex trade off, according to Charania and Slater.
In the deal, the Hawks acquired Saddiq Bey from the Pistons; the Pistons acquired former lottery pick James Wiseman from the Warriors; the Trail Blazers acquired Kevin Knox from the Pistons, three second-round picks from Atlanta and two second-rounders from Golden State; and the Warriors re-acquired Payton from Portland, along with two second-round picks from Atlanta.
Payton’s debut with Portland was delayed until Jan. 2 due to a core muscle injury. He has played regularly since returning to action, including a 22-minute stint against Golden State on Wednesday in which he scored nine points and grabbed three rebounds.
However, Payton has been playing through pain, according to Charania and Slater, and that the Blazers training staff has been giving him Toradol shots to help him stay on the court. That information wasn’t relayed to the Warriors during the negotiation process, The Athletic’s duo adds.
The defensive ace was a key member of the Warriors’ championship rotation last season, and Golden State felt he could have a similar impact on its bench this season.
According to Charania and Slater, there have been behind-the-scenes discussions on Friday about possibly amending the trade. The amount of parties involved complicates matters.
