The Warriors must decide by 9:30 p.m. ET Sunday whether to rescind a four-team trade in the wake of Gary Payton II‘s failed physical, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He adds that Golden State may take another day to evaluate Payton’s condition and determine if it’s in the team’s best interest to keep him.
Sources tell Wojnarowski that Warriors officials believe the Trail Blazers withheld important information about Payton’s condition prior to the trade, which was completed shortly before Thursday’s deadline. Payton is dealing with a core muscle injury that Golden State’s medical staff says could sideline him for up to three months. The muscle issue prevented Payton from making his season debut until Jan. 2, but he has been playing regularly since then.
Portland general manager Joe Cronin insists the Blazers were completely open in trade negotiations, saying Friday that the organization was “confident that he was healthy.”
At stake is a complex trade in which the Hawks acquired Saddiq Bey from the Pistons; the Pistons received former lottery pick James Wiseman from the Warriors; the Trail Blazers landed Kevin Knox from the Pistons, three second-round picks from Atlanta and two second-rounders from Golden State; and the Warriors re-acquired Payton from Portland, along with two second-round picks from Atlanta.
Because the trade deadline has passed, the terms of the deal can’t be altered, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. Initial reporting indicated that might be an option after news broke about the failed physical, but Marks has learned that accepting the trade in its current form or rescinding it entirely are the Warriors’ only choices.
Marks reports that the NBA issued a reminder to each team last week that medical information on players had to be fully disclosed in trade talks. The Warriors could ask the league to investigate, but Marks notes that it could take weeks or months to complete and wouldn’t help the team with its current decision.
Multiple league sources tell Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area that Golden State is strongly considering holding on to Payton, even if he’s out of action indefinitely. Poole notes that the Warriors’ perimeter defense has been an issue lately, and Payton showed last season that he can make a difference as a point-of-attack defender.
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