Blazers say they were confident that Gary Payton II was healthy

PortlandTrail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said Friday the team wasconfident Gary Payton II was healthy before agreeing to trade himto Golden State in a four-team deal that could be at risk.

The Athleticreported that Payton had failed Golden State’s physical on Friday.The Warriors can either allow the trade to go through anyway, orrescind it.

Cronin saidhe was aware of the report but hadn’t been contacted by theWarriors, Hawks or Pistons, who were also in the deal.

“I haven’theard from any teams about this. So for now I have to defer,” saidCronin, who was at a news conference to speak about Portland’smoves at the NBA trade deadline.

Payton’s timein Portland was brief. He signed a $28 million, three-year contractlast summer after playing on Golden State’s NBA championship team.But he missed the first 35 games of the season in Portland becauseof a core injury that required surgery.

The Athleticreported that that Payton could be sidelined for two to threemonths with the injury. The report also cite unnamed sources thatsaid he had been playing through pain in Portland.

“He had beencleared and we were confident that he was healthy when he wasplaying,” Cronin said. “We would not have brought him back if wethought he wasn’t healthy or if he was at risk.”

Portlandcoach Chauncey Billups agreed.

“We wouldnever push a guy to play. Whether it’s medical or whether a guyjust doesn’t feel like he can play that night — say he’s got aheadache or say he’s just got a lot of stress at home, or say hehas a death in the family,” Billups said. “I would never pushsomebody to play because I would always be scared of me doing thatand then something actually happening.”

As part ofthe trade, Golden State received unprotected 2026 and ‘28second-round draft picks from Portland while giving up Memphis’2026 second-round pick and its own 2028 second-round selection tothe Blazers.

The Warriorssent center James Wiseman to Detroit in the four-team trade. ThePistons traded forward Saddiq Bey to the Hawks and the Blazersacquired forward Kevin Knox II from the Detroit along with threeconditional second-round picks from the Hawks.

In anothermove before the deadline, the Blazers also dealt forward Josh Hartto the New York Knicks in exchange for forward Cam Reddish, guardRyan Arcidiacono and a 2023 first-round pick.

Billups saidReddish would start Friday night against the Oklahoma CityThunder.

The Blazersalso acquired guard Matisse Thybulle from the Philadelphia 76ersfor a 2029 second round pick and sent a 2027 second-round pick tothe Charlotte Hornets.