Golden State Warriors should complete Payton trade pending major alteration
Golden State Warriors management, and fans, can rightly feel aggrieved over the Portland Trail Blazers’ handling of Gary Payton II. The moral standing of forcing a player to compete through injury, and then lying about it in trade negotiations, is questionable at best.
The Trail Blazers have pocketed the reigning champions in a corner — they now have to choose between completing the deal for an injured player, or face the awkwardness of having James Wiseman return to The Bay. That’s not to mention the unenviable prospect of sending Payton back to Portland.
The Golden State Warriors need to complete the deal to acquire Gary Payton II, but at a far more discounted rate given his injury issue.
The idea of rescinding the trade is an implausible one — the Wiseman era is over and it has to remain that way. They could theoretically just reverse Portland’s part in the deal, meaning they receive Kevin Knox and the picks that originally came from Atlanta. However, that’d be unfair on Knox, incredibly unfair on Payton, and obviously removes the chance of him returning in the postseason.
The only issue is that Portland will know the Warriors want to maintain the deal, and can therefore use that in renegotiation. If the Trail Blazers had any shred of good faith, they’d either send some or all of the second-round picks back to Golden State, and/or compensate them financially.
If the Trail Blazers don’t play ball on a renegotiation, then the NBA needs to step in — they should regardless and likely already are. Firstly, an independent doctor should assess Payton, thus determining the extent of malpractice on Portland’s side. Secondly, there needs to be a determined and set punishment for lying or giving false information during trade discussions. Are we supposed to sit here and believe that Bob Myers didn’t ask about Payton’s health during the initial negotiations? This isn’t necessarily for the Warriors’ aid right now, but to protect players and teams in future situations.
There’s some precedence here — Kyrie Irving’s blockbuster trade from Cleveland to Boston had to be renegotiated when Isaiah Thomas was assessed by the Cavaliers’ medical staff. However, this instance is a little more complicated — there’s four teams involved, and that Boston-Cleveland deal didn’t have to be altered AFTER the deadline.
Next. Golden State Warriors right to balk at Toronto’s demands for OG Anunoby. dark
Whatever the process, if Golden State don’t walk away with some level of compensation, then that’s a moral loss for them and the league. Payton should still be a Warrior, but it’s indicative of their season — nothing is coming easy.