Getty Image / Rob Carr
This year’s NBA trade deadline was loaded with drama.
Kyrie Irving demanded a last-minute trade from the Brooklyn Nets and ended up being sent to the Dallas Mavericks.
That led to Kevin Durant being traded as well, heading to the Phoenix Suns.
Russell Westbrook was also dealt in a deal that brought D’Angelo Russell back to the Los Angeles Lakers.
There were also way too many 2nd round picks that changed hands ahead of the deadline.
While there was plenty of drama before the deadline, the most surprising development may have actually come after the deadline.
A 4-way trade between the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Portland TrailBlazers is currently in jeopardy because Gary Payton II failed a physical.
According to reports, the Trailblazers were pushing him to play through an injury with Toradol shots and didn’t tell the Warriors he was injured.
Last night, Micah Parsons reacted to the report on Payton II and claimed that the same is true of 95% of the NFL.
Sad to say it but this is 95% of the NFL! https://t.co/5iRClBasQ7
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) February 11, 2023
The idea of this happening in the NFL isn’t exactly anything new. Football players using painkillers to play through injuries is something fans have known about of a while.
Aaron Rodgers even revealed over the summer that he took Percocet to play through an injury in an NFL game. He didn’t specify which game that was, but many fans believe it was a 2018 game against the Chicago Bears where Rodgers returned from a knee injury to lead the Packers back from a 17-point deficit.
Tyrod Taylor also once famously had a lung punctured by the Chargers’ teams doctor while he was being given a pain-killing injection for a rib injury.
Still, even with that story out there, 95% is still a pretty jarring number to hear and a surprising claim for an active player to make.