Warriors Rumors: Gary Payton II out Indefinitely with Torn Calf Injury

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II will be out indefinitely after suffering a torn right calf, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Payton exited Tuesday's 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings after coming off the bench and logging 16:32 on the floor.

The team said he had injured his right calf.

Payton has already missed four games this season. An illness sidelined him for Golden State's 108-105 defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 8, and then a foot problem took him out of the lineup for a brief stretch.

The 30-year-old was snakebitten from the moment he returned to the Warriors midway through the 2022-23 season. It looked like his trade was in jeopardy after his physical flagged an abdomen injury. While it eventually went through, he was out for more than a month before getting back on the court in March.

Payton is averaging 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game. His value to the Warriors is evident by the fact their net rating has fallen by 5.7 points per 100 possessions when he's off the floor, per NBA.com. He has been one of their better defenders.

Losing Payton is a relatively big blow as it looks to turn around its 8-10 record and climb out of a play-in tournament position. His absence will force head coach Steve Kerr to lean a little more heavily on Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski.