Three days after the trade deadline, the four-team trade saga between the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons is reportedly nearing completion.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Warriors will go through and complete the four-team trade despite Gary Payton II failing his physical exam.
Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:
The Warriors will go through with the Gary Payton II four-team trade, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Golden State will not pass Payton's physical exam, sources said, but has decided to move forward with deal that brings back the key 2022 championship piece.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 12, 2023
The official announcement and completion of the trade was delayed when Payton II failed his physical with the Warriors after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers. An exam with the Warriors revealed Payton II’s core muscle injury could rule him out for multiple months.
With the trade set to be completed, Payton II will reunite with the Warriors, James Wiseman will move to the Detroit Pistons, Saddiq Bey will head to the Atlanta Hawks and Kevin Knox along with five second-round picks will land with the Trail Blazers.
Payton II missed the start of the 2022-23 season with the Trail Blazers due to the same core muscle injury. In 15 games with Portland and is averaging 4.1 points on 58.5% shooting from the floor with 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 17 minutes per contest.
Prior to his stint with Portland, Payton’s tough defense and highlight-reel dunks quickly made him a fan favorite during his two years with the Warriors.
During his time in San Francisco, Payton II averaged 6.5 points on 62.2% shooting from the field with 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.5 minutes per game. Payton II played a key role in the playoffs on Golden State’s run to the 2022 NBA Finals.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
