Gary Payton II, Warriors could separate in the Free Agency – NBC Sports Bay Area and California
Gary Payton II, a favorite by fans loved by his teammates, could have played his last game with the Warriors.
Payton will become a free agent without restrictions on Monday and his return to Golden State is in serious risk, they have referred to multiple NBA Sports Bay Area NBA sources on Friday and Saturday.
“It seems doubt,” said a source on Friday.
“Golden State still likes it, and there is still a possibility that it has returned,” said another source of the warriors. “But they have many moving parts while working through the situation of Jonathan Kuminga, so Gary could land the next season elsewhere.”
The key member of the Golden State NBA 2022 championship team, Payton is leaving a season of inconsistency while fighting several annoying accidents. The 6-Foot-3 striker appeared in 62 games (11 departures), with averages for-36 minutes of 15.5 points (on 57.4 percent shooting from the field, of which 32.6 from distance), 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 stolen.
Payton earned $ 9.1 million salary last season, the last year of a three -year contract of $ 26.1 million which originally signed with the Portland Trail Blazer in July 2022. The Warriors regained him seven months later and since then it has been a fixed appointment in the rotation.
A higher athlete in a list without athleticism, GP2 was the best defender of the team attack point. It is regularly assigned to stars like Minnesota Anthony Edwards, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard and Phoenix Devin Booker. But availability was a problem with Payton. He lost 20 games last season and 38 games in 2023-24.
If Payton is not re-filed, Golden State will give priority to the addition of an elite perimeter defender.
The free NBA agency officially starts at 15:00 on Monday, when the teams can negotiate with those on the market. The direction that the Warriors take with their free agents without rotational restrictions – Kevon Looney is the other – will be influenced by the result of the free Kuminga agency.
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