Warriors Reveal Update On Gary Payton II's Status

When Gary Payton II fractured his elbow after a hard foul early in the team's second-round series, the Golden State Warriors announced he'd be out for 3-for-5 weeks. Yet here we are just 10 days later, and the team might be changing its tune just a bit. 

Gary Payton II won't play to open the conference finals, but has been able to keep conditioning up since it's elbow injury.
Steve Kerr: "We're not ruling him out of the whole conference finals. We're not saying he's going to play either." Called it a "longshot" but "possibility."

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 15, 2022

Calling it a "possibility", head coach Steve Kerr said "We're not ruling him out of the whole conference finals. We're not saying he's going to play either." He also called it a "longshot". But Payton has been keeping up his conditioning, and is no longer wearing a brace.

He said today that it's feeling "better and better", and hopes to "squeeze out a bit more time" to let it heal even more. And he has no hard feelings for the Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks, who committed the flagrant foul that sent crashing to the floor on his elbow.

Gary Payton II on the flagrant foul that fractured his elbow: "NBA playoff foul. That's about it."

Payton said Dillon Brooks reached out to him: "We talked. It's all good. Basketball play. I know he didn't mean it."

Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/p9O2WetiWg

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 15, 2022

"We talked. It's all good. Basketball play. I know he didn't mean it," said Payton.

The 29-year-old son of former all-time great Gary Payton had worked himself into a critical role with the Warriors, particularly at the defensive end (like father, like son). 

In 71 games for the Warriors this season, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in just under 18 minutes a game. 

The Warriors open the Conference Finals against either the Dallas Mavericks or Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.