Portland Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II will be available to make his season debut Monday against Detroit at the Moda Center.
The Blazers guard, who has been out while recovering from offseason core muscle surgery, for the first time this season was not listed on the team’s injury report released on Sunday.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said last week that Payton’s return date would be up to him and that he had been cleared to play by the team’s medical staff.
The former Oregon State guard had been dealing with soreness issues following workouts contributing to delaying his return.
Billups made it clear during the season that Payton wouldn’t be expected to return until he felt both physically and mentally ready to perform.
Payton practiced fully on Tuesday but not on Wednesday. The Blazers on Friday night lost at Golden State, Payton’s former team. That night, the Warriors, including Payton, received their championship rings for winning the 2022 NBA Finals.
Last summer, the Blazers signed Payton to a three-year, $26.1 million contract to help improve the team’s defense.
Payton was originally expected to participate in September’s training camp. Then his Blazers debut was pushed to the start of the regular season. That never materialized and over the next few months, Payton underwent several reevaluations. He said on numerous occasions that he was close to playing. But “close” never had any true meaning as weeks came and went.
-- Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts