SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors are going through with a trade to acquire Gary Payton II from Portland despite a failed physical, sources confirmed Sunday afternoon.
Golden State had put a four-team trade on hold after a routine physical on Friday revealed Payton, 30, could miss significant time due to a core muscle injury that required offseason surgery. The Warriors filed a complaint with the league office alleging the Trail Blazers failed to disclose pertinent medical information during the trade discussions.
But after using most of their 72-hour window to decide how to proceed, the Warriors eventually concluded Sunday it was best to keep the trade intact. Once completed, the move will effectively bring Payton in while sending James Wiseman away.
Payton, a key piece in last year’s championship season, was seen at Chase Center in Warriors gear following team practice on Friday and in the stands next to Warriors executives Bob Myers and Mike Dunleavy Jr. in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. But team officials refused to speak about the trade until the deal was completed. Coach Steve Kerr called the situation “strange.”
The Warriors, according to The Athletics, were upset that Portland didn’t divulge Payton had been prescribed Toradel tablets, an extra strength anti-inflammatory drug that is common for people after surgery. Sources said Sunday morning the NBA had opened a review into the matter.
Payton missed the first 35 games of the season, but played 14 of the last 16 games for the Trail Blazers, including 22 minutes in Portland’s game against Golden State the night before the Thursday trade deadline.
The Warriors sent three second-round picks as well as former Piston Kevin Knox to Portland for Payton as part of a four-team trade that included the Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks.
Golden State dealt Wiseman to Detroit and rerouted big man Saddiq Bey to Atlanta for five second-round picks that the Warriors used to bring Payton back to the Bay Area.
The timeline for Payton’s injury recovery is undetermined, but could sideline him for significant time, sources said. Myers, the team’s general manager and president of basketball operations, is expected to provide more clarity on the situation when he speaks with reporters Monday.
The Warriors made the tough decision to move on from Wiseman in hopes to further capitalize on Stephen Curry’s prime while also putting them in position to compete in the Western Conference, which got stronger this week with the additions of Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
Payton’s unavailability for the foreseeable future had thrown a wrench in the Warriors’ plans, though it appeared likely that the Warriors were still going to go through with the trade, which seemingly benefited all parties involved.
Wiseman’s development over the course of his first three NBA seasons had been stalled several times due to injuries but when healthy this season, he wasn’t getting consistent game reps needed to reach the potential the Warriors saw in him when they took him No. 2 overall in 2020. Wiseman will have a larger role with the Pistons, who will give him more opportunities to play through mistakes than Golden State could afford.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will save $37 million in luxury tax with the addition of Payton, who signed a three-year, $26.1 million deal with the Trail Blazers last summer. Payton, when healthy, is an elite defender who has a proven track record of success within the Warriors’ system.
By league rules, no modifications were made to the trade. If the Warriors nixed the deal, the entire trade would have been reversed. That would mean Wiseman — who would cost the organization around $131 million over this and next season — would return to Golden State.
