Sometimes, franchises have to make challenging decisions about declining assets.
A 6-foot-2 Golden State Warriors role player has experienced his fair share of success with the Dubs. However, Blue Man Hoop’s Tyler Watts believes that, considering the son of a Hall of Fame ex-Los Angeles Lakers guard isn’t the same player he used to be, Golden State will soon cut ties with him.
“The Golden State Warriors are slowly moving away from Gary Payton II,” Watts wrote Friday. “They just did this with Kevon Looney, and he wasn’t the first member of their dynasty to decline his way off the franchise.”
“GP2 is a legend in the Bay Area, but his time with the Warriors is ending. Fans should savor the final moments while they still can.”
Payton joined the Warriors in 2020 and enjoyed near instant success with the franchise. The Oregon State product’s serviceable three-point shooting and valuable on-ball/help defense helped Golden State capture an NBA title in 2022.
Payton departed the Dubs after their championship-winning 2021-22 campaign, but returned to the Bay midway through the 2022-23 campaign.
Payton is a fringe rotational contributor with the Dubs this season, as his perimeter shooting efficiency and defensive contributions haven’t been satisfactory enough to earn significant minutes in Steve Kerr’s rotation.
Payton is averaging 4.0 points per game on 47.8% field goal shooting and 27.6% three-point shooting in 24 outings.
As Watts noted, the nine-year veteran should be prepared to find a new NBA home if he fails to elevate his level of play in a timely fashion.
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