Inside The Warriors

Warriors Reveal Gary Payton II's Injury Timetable

The Golden State Warriors hope to have Gary Payton II back before the playoffs
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

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With the trade now official, Gary Payton II is once again a member of the Golden State Warriors. The versatile guard rejoins the team he helped win a championship just last season; however, he will not be available for at least another month.

When addressing the media on Monday morning, Warriors GM Bob Myers revealed that Payton will be reevaluated in one month, and the team hopes to have him available before the playoffs.

Making a "win-now" move to acquire Payton in a deal that sent out James Wiseman, the Warriors certainly hope that the versatile guard can contribute in the playoffs. The Warriors of course still have to solidify a playoff spot, currently sitting in 9th place at an even .500, but Payton does project to help should they get there.

The Warriors will likely have to take an unconventional path to repeating their title, with their seeding shaping up to be less than optimal. There is still time for the team to better position themselves in the standings, but with Curry sidelined until after the break, it will be tough to gather some momentum.

A confident group, the Warriors spoke openly last season about their ultimate goal of entering the playoffs healthy. Seeding matters, but these Warriors believe in their ability to beat anyone should they enter the playoffs healthy. A healthy Gary Payton II will certainly boost that confidence, as well as their realistic chances at repeating.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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