WELCOME BACK

Dubs re-acquire Payton and ship out Wiseman, who never meshed with offense Trading Wiseman for Payton is a brilliant trade deadline play

James Wiseman's time with the Warriors has come to an end as Gary Payton II is set for his second chapter with Golden State.

The Warriors agreed to trade Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons and used part of the draft capital garnered in that swap to get Payton.

Golden State initially would have received forwards Kevin Knox and Saddiq Bey from the Pistons, but the Warriors flipped Bey to the Hawks for five second-round picks, then sent three of those second rounders, plus one of their own and one they previously acquired from Memphis, with Knox to bring Payton back from Portland.

The deal was completed in the hour before the noon deadline and reunited the Warriors with their beloved defensive specialist who provided an essential spark off the bench during their title run last summer. The move also puts an

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Inside: Why the Dubs gave up on former No. 2 pick Wiseman.

I said in July that the Warriors would regret letting Gary Payton II leave.

Well, seven months later, that regret was so significant the Warriors effectively traded James Wiseman — the former No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft — to bring Payton back to San Francisco.

Call it Payton II, redux.

It's a great move for the Warriors, who used two separate trades to route Payton to the Bay once again.

And while it doesn't match the splash of the Suns adding Kevin Durant, that was never possible at this trade deadline.

But by bringing back Payton, the Warriors' repeating as champions becomes even more possible. Payton, 30, was not only a critical defensive cog on a championship team

STEPH CHAMBERS — GETTY IMAGES Gary Payton II, who was a key member of the Warriors' championship team last season, has been reacquired from Portland.

JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, was hampered by injuries and his struggles to fit into the Warriors' motion offense.