SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13 (BNA): The Golden State Warriors have decided to move forward with completing a deal to acquire Gary Payton II from Portland despite concerns that have arisen about the guard’s health following offseason surgery for an underlying muscle injury that sidelined him. Until last month.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation said Sunday that the Warriors have spoken to the NBA about how the Trail Blazers handled the deal and information about the medical status of Payton, who on actual Friday raised issues that jeopardized the trade. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the negotiations and discussions have not been made public, the Associated Press reported.
The defending champions had until Sunday night to decide whether to cancel the trade that sent quarterback James Wiseman to Detroit. Golden State will also receive unprotected 2026 second-round picks and 28 from Portland while ceding a 2026 Memphis second-round pick and its 2028 second-round pick to Portland.
The Pistons traded striker Siddig Bay to the Hawks and the Blazers acquired 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 over the past season and would promptly provide backcourt depth with Stephen Curry at least even 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 Wednesday night win in Portland before returning to his former team before the trade deadline the next day. Payton averages 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 15 games.
Rial