Warriors to approve 4-team trade, acquire Gary Payton II / News - Basketnews.com

Gary Payton II will join the Golden State Warriors after the team approved a 4-team trade between the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Warriors.

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The Golden State Warriors have decided to go through with the completion of a trade to acquire Gary Payton II from the Portland Trail Blazers despite concerns that arose surrounding the guard's health following offseason surgery for a core muscle injury that sidelined him until last month.

Gary Payton II

MIN:17.11PTS:4.07 (62.22%)REB:2.6As:1.47ST:1BL:0.07TO:0.8GM:15ProfileNBA2022/2023

A person with direct knowledge of the situation said Sunday that the Warriors spoke to the NBA about how the Trail Blazers handled the deal and information about the medical situation for Payton, whose physical Friday brought up issues that put the trade in jeopardy.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details of the negotiations and discussions were made public.

The defending champions had until Sunday night to make a decision on whether to rescind the swap that sent center James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons.

Golden State will also receive unprotected 2026 and 2028 second-round draft picks from Portland while giving up Memphis’ 2026 second-round pick and its own 2028 second-round selection to Portland.

The Pistons traded forward Saddiq Bey to the Atlanta Hawks, and the Blazers acquire forward Kevin Knox II from Detroit along with three conditional second-round picks from the Hawks.

The 30-year-old Payton played a key role as a defensive stopper for Golden State during last season’s title run and would immediately provide backcourt depth with Stephen Curry sidelined, at least until after the All-Star break with a left leg injury.

Payton’s status for the rest of the season is unclear. He played against Golden State in a win Wednesday night at Portland before rejoining his former team ahead of the trade deadline a day later.

Payton is averaging 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists over 15 games.

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