Reports say that Gary Payton II and the Portland Trail Blazers are close to agreeing on a three-year, $28 million deal.
Gary Payton II representative, Aaron Goodwin, revealed to ESPN that his client is nearing completion of a multi-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.
When Will Portland’s Gary Payton II Return?
ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported that Payton would join the Blazers on a three-year, $28 million deal after spending the previous two seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
Insiders told Spears that the Warriors made the taxpayer mid-level exception offer to Payton.
Payton’s father, the Hall of Fame guard Gary Payton, was born in Oakland. Thus, he has roots in the Bay Area and ties to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest through his mother. His father, a member of the Seattle Supersonics, significantly influenced his upbringing.
Additionally, Payton spent two years at Oregon State, where he starred on the basketball court. A series of stops and starts have marked Payton’s career since his 2016–17 rookie year, but he has finally found a home in Golden State.
• Payton was considered a point guard coming out of college, but he spent most of his time in the dunker role for the Warriors, making him a forward or even a center.
• Payton’s defensive rating of 100 ranks him 40th in the league and sixth-best among players who logged roughly the same number of minutes as Payton.
• He thrived in matchups against the league’s most extraordinary big men like MVP Nikola Jokic. He expanded his offensive repertoire to include shooting (35.8% from 3 on 1.7 attempts per game), making him a complete player.
Gary Payton II Of The Trail Blazers Will Not Play In The Season’s Opening Game
Without guard Gary Payton II, the Portland Trail Blazers will attempt to shore up their porous defense in advance of the regular season.
The team stated on Thursday that Payton won’t be available for the beginning of the regular season because he is still recovering from core muscle surgery.
Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups stated Thursday after practice, “We just want to be extra cautious with him.”
- They had hoped Payton, who had signed a three-year, $26.1 million free agent contract with the Blazers over the summer, would be healthy enough to play in the team’s season opener against the Sacramento Kings on October 19. Payton will be reevaluated in two weeks, meaning he will miss at least the Blazers’ first five games. According to the team’s schedule, Payton won’t be able to play again until the home game against Houston on October 28.
- In the days leading up to training camp’s official start on September 27, Payton expressed hope for a quicker return than was initially predicted. Still, he also stressed the importance of fully recovering before returning to action.
- Instead of rushing back, Payton is “just cleaning up stuff and making sure everything feels great.”
- For the Blazers to open the season without Payton is a significant setback. They brought in Payton because they knew he would be vital in stopping the opposing team’s offense from the backcourt, a role he excelled at the previous year for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
- The Blazers could use any additional defensive support they can get. They gave up an NBA-worst 119.3 points per game in four exhibition losses.
- Damian Lillard, who had the same surgery as Payton in January, expressed regret for Payton’s absence.
Conclusion:
According to Billups, Payton, who was not available to the media on Thursday, has played hurt most of his career.
Payton went undrafted out of Oregon State but has now established himself as a starter with the Warriors.
Billups said that he did this while playing with a severe core injury. The Blazers have signed him to his first multi-year contract, hoping he will improve the team’s defensive play.
Billups noted that, due to Payton’s “grinder attitude,” the club must take special care to ensure his physical well-being.
Billups has stated of Gary, “He’s simply such a tough guy that he’s willing to fight through everything.” You almost have to shield them from yourself, right? According to Billups, Payton has a rich deal, a permanent home, and a team that needs him with the Blazers.
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