Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II has suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out for three to six weeks, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Payton played 20 minutes in the Warriors’ 112-86 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, finishing with four points and seven rebounds. How and when he sustained the injury hasn’t been reported.
The nine-year veteran was averaging 14.9 minutes per game for the Warriors, but had seen his playing time increase in recent weeks amid Stephen Curry getting rest and sitting out with a hip injury. His best performance this season was on March 10 versus the Portland Trail Blazers, when he scored 26 points against his former team.
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For the season, Payton is averaging 6.6 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 33% on 3-pointers. He played his past nine games with a non-displaced nose fracture that required him to wear a protective mask.
Payton’s injury comes as the Warriors are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. Golden State is currently in the No. 7 spot with a 41-31 record and just a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors have lost two in a row and three of their past five games with four games remaining on a road trip that ends with matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, both 44-28. Upon returning home on April 4, they face the Denver Nuggets (46-28) and Houston Rockets (47-26).
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Payton is in his second stint with Golden State after playing for the team from 2020-22, then signing with the Trail Blazers. Portland traded him back to the Warriors as part of a four-team deal during the 2022-23 season.
During his nine NBA seasons, Payton has played for five teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards and Laker. He has career averages of 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and one steal, shooting 34% on 3s.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
