The Golden State Warriors on Thursday agreed to return Gary Payton II in trade. The Portland Trail Blazers have five second-round draft picks in return.
Payton then, returns to the team that was champion last season after just 15 games played by the Oregon team.
The Warriors took part in a deal with the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks before agreering to trade Payton.
In the trade, James Wiseman left Steve Kerr’s team for Michigan. Power forward Kevin Knox was traded to Golden State in the triple trade. However, he got into the pack by the former Blazers player.
The franchise will save about $7 million in luxury tax this year with the deal made by the Warriors. For the 2023/24 season, the amount could reach US$30 million.
Payton debuted in the current season only on January 2nd. That’s because he underwent surgery because of a muscle injury. Then, he only made 15 appearances for the Blazers, with one start.
As a result, the 30-year-old averaged 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in Portland.
Moreover, he made 58.5% from the field and 52.9% from the perimeter. But it’s not those numbers that draw attention in Payton’s game. He is, after all, known for his defensive performance.
On the Warriors’ 2021/22 championship team, he was the top defensive back in the second unit. Generally posted to mark key opposing players from the perimeter.
When Payton was in charge of a player, they were shooting about 2.2% less than their shooting averages. This then eased the game for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Payton made a good impression in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. On the occasion, he scored 15 points, five rebounds and three steals in Game 5.
In the last match of the series, he scored six points, three rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block.
