Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II has suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out indefinitely. ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote on X: “Golden State Warriors G/F Gary Payton II has sustained a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out for an indefinite period, sources tell ESPN. Brutal blow to the Warriors’ rotation.”
Payton suffered the injury during the Warriors’ 112-86 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night; the guard played 20 minutes in the game, finishing with four points and seven rebounds.
During his nine NBA seasons, Payton has played for five teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers. He has career averages of 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and one steal, shooting 34% on 3s.
Payton is in his second stint with Golden State after playing for the team from 2020-22, then signing with the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland traded him back to the Warriors as part of a four-team deal during the 2022-23 season. The nine-year veteran is averaging 6.6 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 33% on 3-pointers.
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