As the summer inches closer to its end, so does the window of the NBA offseason, and one team that has been unusually quiet during this period is the Golden State Warriors. The front office hasn’t been active in recruiting new players, but Gary Payton II could now be re-signing with the Dubs, thanks largely to Stephen Curry.
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Payton’s contract with the Warriors ended earlier this year, but there was never much talk about him moving elsewhere. Most simply assumed that GPII would remain with Golden State, considering how important he has been to Curry and Co. He doesn’t put up huge numbers on the stat sheet, but his impact goes far beyond the box score.
The Warriors arguably would not have won the 2022 Finals without GPII, particularly his defense, which was a true game-changer. He hounded guards the same way his father once did, and his hustle plays often swung the momentum of a game.
Payton continued his clutch run for the Dubs this past postseason, including in Game 3 of the opening round when he scored a career playoff-high 16 points to help his team take a 2-1 series lead over the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets. The Warriors were eliminated in the following round after Curry went down with an injury, but that was more bad luck than poor play on his part.
What’s even better for the Dubs is that GPII is currently an unrestricted free agent and Curry wants to keep him on the squad. This comes from a report by Brandon Scoop Robinson, who wrote, ” I’m told Curry has been in direct contact with Gary Payton II, pushing for the Warriors to bring the defensive ace back on a two-year deal.”
The timing of this couldn’t be better. The Chef was recently interviewed at event about how the Golden State organization had not made any big moves over the summer. “Oh for real? I didn’t know,” joked Curry. He didn’t seem too affected by that news though. It was almost as if he was prepared to reach out to GPII anyway.
“My confidence is built on the identity we were able to create over the last 1/3 of the regular season last year. We have a really good team, and we know we need some pieces to help us get to the next level,” added Steph.
The tone of the four-time NBA champion was his usual calm demeanor, but there was a clear hunger to get back to the championship series one more time. And considering how competitive the West has become, GPII would be a smart piece for the Dubs to lock down. He would not cost the team too much, and his return would also give them flexibility to secure a good deal with Jimmy Butler, who will be looking to overcome his own championship struggles.
With the clock ticking on Warriors legends like Steph and Draymond Green as they near the end of their careers, the team could use an injection of energy. Payton might not be the future of the franchise, but he can certainly provide the spark they need right now.
