The Warriors were dealt an unfortunate blow for the stretch run of the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
Veteran guard/forward Gary Payton II suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb and will miss time, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources, after The Athletic's Anthony Slater first reported the news of the thumb injury.
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. pic.twitter.com/wfiq0pa1vm
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 27, 2025
Payton is an integral player in coach Steve Kerr's rotations, and in 58 games this season, is averaging 6.6 points, 3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 58.5-percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range in 14.9 minutes off the bench.
The 32-year-old recently suffered a non-displaced nose fracture in the Warriors' win over the Charlotte Hornets on March 3 and has played with a mask for the previous nine games he was active before his thumb injury.
While Payton was able to play through that injury, it appears the Warriors will be without him for most, if not all, of their final 10 games of the regular season.
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