Gary Payton II to miss start of regular season recovering from core muscle injury

The Trail Blazers announced Thursday that guard Gary Payton II will miss the start of the regular season as he continues to recover from a procedure to address a core muscle injury.

The team says Payton’s rehab is progressing well.  His return to play timeline will be re-evaluated in two weeks, per the team.

Portland opens the regular season next Wednesday night at Sacramento.