Are the Golden State Warriors on the cusp of a free agent agreement with one of their own former champions?
MORE NEWS: Jonathan Kuminga's agent calls out Warriors contract rumor
That certainly appears to be the case.
It's a bit of surprise, given that the Warriors are still stuck dealing with what should have been a fairly easy
An icy summer for Golden State
While Golden State waits for restricted free agent power forward Jonathan Kuminga to make a decision on a reported three-year, $75.2 million contract offer (per ESPN's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania), the rest of its free agent business has ground to a halt.
Inside the stalemate between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors as training camp nears
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 15, 2025
Story with @ShamsCharania
https://t.co/znzU3t1gFg
Team president Mike Dunleavy Jr., who did effectively trade to acquire six-time All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler at this past season's deadline, has come under scrutiny for his role in not effectively building his roster with an eye towards the 2025-26 season.
Kuminga, still just 22, is exactly the kind of athletic downhill scoring forward with two-way potential that Dunleavy and col should aspire to hold onto at any cost. Instead, it seems like both he and the Warriors want a separation.
Several players are apparently waiting to sign deals with Golden State, most notably former five-time All-Star Al Horford and returning guards De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II.
Sources have told NBA insiders Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson that Golden State has offered a two-season, $7.9 million contract to see Payton return to the team on which he's spent parts of five seasons.
UPDATE: Warriors & Gary Payton II have discussed a 2-yr, $7.9M return deal, sources tell me — contingent on what GSW & Jonathan Kuminga decide.
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 18, 2025
Warriors & Al Horford also remain aligned, but that too depends on the Kuminga outcome.
🔗 Original story ➡️ https://t.co/RJXMjbeDSm https://t.co/2857LIaCay pic.twitter.com/5UR2evvl8f
During his previous runs with the Warriors, Payton proved himself to be a critical point-of-attack defender — which ultimately led to him serving as a key contributor on Golden State's 2022 champions.
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In his 194 healthy games for the Warriors, Payton averaged 6.2 points on .592/.353/.708 shooting splits, plus 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks.
The 32-year-old's defense may not be quite at the level it had been during his absolute prime, but Payton has proven he can still be a useful contributor.
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- Warriors almost drafted rising star over Jonathan Kuminga in 2021
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