Gary Payton II, the Golden State Warriors' newest acquisition, has reportedly failed a physical exam, putting the four-team deal he was central to in "serious jeopardy," per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
The Warriors sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons, who dealt Saddiq Bey to the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta's Kevin Knox and five second-round picks ended up with the Portland Trail Blazers. For now.
Payton II had undergone surgery on an abdominal issue over the off-season, but lingering effects kept him out for almost the first half of the season.
When he did come back, he was still complaining of discomfort, which Portland's medical staff allegedly pushed him to play through. (The Trail Blazers dispute this charge.) This situation was not relayed to the Warriors during the trade negotiations.
The Warriors' medical team discovered an issue in Payton II's core muscles which could sideline the athletic guard for two-to-three months.
The Warriors gave up on Wiseman, 2020's No. 2 overall pick, to re-acquire Payton II in a "win-now" move.
This was going to be a homecoming for the late-blooming Payton II, who had a breakout with the Warriors in 2021 after going undrafted in 2016 and bouncing around the league for the years in between.
The Athletic's Jason Quick reported that Payton II "didn’t want to be in Portland and was ecstatic to return to Golden State."
Since the trade deadline has passed, there are not supposed to be any re-negotiations.
The Warriors have until Saturday to decide whether to go ahead with the deal or terminate it.
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