So So sad news: Golden State Warriors Rule Out Key Player for Play-In Tournament today……

This is a major blow for the Warriors, especially against a team like Sacramento.

While Golden State has gotten used to being without Payton, as he played just 44 games this season, his defense would have been crucial to Golden State’s game plan against De’Aaron Fox.

A defensive specialist, Payton is elite on that end of the floor, and also gives the Warriors some unique options offensively as well.

A lob threat at just 6’2″, Payton can play as a roller offensively, and will also knock down the occasional corner three when left alone.

This is a win or go home game for both teams, as the loser will be eliminated, and the winner will go on to face the loser of the New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers game.

The winner of that Pelicans vs. Lakers game will earn a date with the Denver Nuggets as the 7th seed, and the loser will face the winner of Golden State vs. Sacramento for a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 8th seed.

After the Golden State Warriors’ 2023-24 season came to an end with a loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament on Tuesday night, they are facing some important questions this offseason.

According to The Ringer’s Logan Murdock, one of the biggest uncertainties is the status of veteran point guard Chris Paul, who league sources identified “as a key player in the Warriors’ offseason” because of the chances that he could be traded or cut.

Murdock noted that Paul “has been a valuable veteran voice in the locker room and helped Golden State finish with the third-best bench-scoring unit in the league.”

The soon-to-be 39-year-old averaged a career-low 9.2 points in 58 games with 18 starts in his first year in Golden State, though he led the team with 6.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.