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“Got Your Best Defender Back”: Ex-Warriors Star Reunites With Stephen Curry Energizing Dubnation Just Hours After Jersey Swap

Published 02/09/2023, 11:43 PM EST

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr opened up recently about the trade deadline. He claimed that he was unaware of any move or decision the front office could make. He said this earlier in the week when fans demanded the Warriors make a move. On the trade front, the Warriors’ front office was mum. Then, on the morning of February 9, the Warriors finalized deals that left the NBA community baffled. Their first move came just 90 minutes before the deadline. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweeted that the Detroit Pistons had acquired James Wiseman from the Warriors. Minutes after Dubnation absorbed this shock, they erupted in glee as their “underrated hero” was back to join Stephen Curry and co. 

With only 5 minutes left before the deadline, Wojnarowski tweeted, “The Blazers are trading Gary Payton II to the Warriors for five second-round picks.” This news broke hours after GP2 flaunted a Portland jersey and played against his former team. GP2 was instrumental in bagging the win for Portland. Toward the end of the game, he and Jordan Poole swapped jerseys. But in hindsight, this swap seemed unnecessary. GP2, who had been an integral part of the Warriors’ 2021-22 championship triumph, was back in the Bay. He was back with the team and community of fans who showered him with nothing but love.

Dubnation erupts in glee after Gary Payton II re-joins Stephen Curry and co

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Warriors fans exclaimed with joy when this news hit their devices. They rushed online, typed in caps, and expressed their joy with gifs and emojis. Fans wrote that they had their best defender back on the roster and thanked the front office. They claimed that this was the best trade. Many rushed to the video of the jersey swap and predicted the conversation between Poole and GP2. They dialed back in time, posted videos of GP2 in the Warriors uniform, and wrote that they couldn’t wait for him to enter the court.

Here are some more reactions from NBA Twitter:

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The Warriors and their deals

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As per reports, the Warriors acquired Payton,” along with unprotected 2026 and 2028 second-round picks from the Atlanta Hawks.” Multiple teams were involved in this trade. With regards to the Wiseman trade, the Warriors received five second-round picks which they eventually had to let go of.

This trade outing seemed to be successful for the Warriors. Supposedly, with these moves, “they will save roughly $7M in luxury tax this year on today’s trades — and $30 million in 2023-2024.”

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WATCH THIS STORY – Stephen Curry breaks silence for tough news for Warriors fans

With that said, are you excited about GP2’s return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shriya Rajachandra

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Shriya Rajachandra is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Communicative English. Shriya previously interned at The New Indian Express, but her favorite journalist, Marcus Thompson motivated her to start writing about basketball.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani