The Portland Trail Blazers have traded guard Gary Payton II back to the Golden State Warriors for Kevin Knox and five second-round picks. Golden State acquired Knox and five second-round picks in a trade that sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons and Saddiq Bey to the Atlanta Hawks. Portland continues to acquire draft picks that they can use down the road to try and build a contender around star point guard Damian Lillard. Payton II was a vital member of the Golden State Warriors last season on their way to winning the 2022 NBA Championship.
The Blazers are trading Gary Payton II to the Warriors for five second round picks, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
This season in just 14 games and 16.6 minutes per game with the Portland Trail Blazers, Gary Payton II averaged 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1,6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He paired those numbers with a field goal percentage of 56.8 percent and a three-point percentage of 53.3 percent. This season with the Detroit Pistons, Kevin Knox averaged 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He paired those numbers with a field goal percentage of 47.5 percent and a three-point percentage of 37.7 percent. Portland adds needed capital while the Warriors add back an important glue guy. The team may look to buy out Kevin Knox in the coming days.
