Gary Payton II’s reunion tour may be coming to a screeching halt.
Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported Friday that the Warriors’ trade for Payton is now in serious jeopardy after Payton failed his physical exam. The report adds that Payton has a core muscle injury that may sideline him for up to three months. Payton’s injury was apparently discovered following a Warriors’ exam.
Golden State agreed to acquire the 30-year-old defensive stopper Payton in a four-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Detroit Pistons, and the Atlanta Hawks. He played a key role for the Warriors during their 2022 title run and then signed with Portland as a free agent in the summer.
The situation with Payton, who had not been previously listed as having a core injury, now obviously jeopardizes the other aspects of that four-team trade, such as James Wiseman going to Detroit and Saddiq Bey heading to Atlanta. It may also be very disappointing for the Warriors, who could really use Payton’s defensive energy right now and stood to save a lot of money from the deal going through.
