Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II remains without a team, creating a questionable situation around the NBA.
Payton is good enough to be on a team, but the Warriors’ situation with Jonathan Kuminga is likely impacting him. It remains uncertain if the Warriors want to bring him back, but considering Payton hasn’t signed with another team, it makes sense if that’s the case.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, it also sounds like he thinks that’s what will play out. Pincus wrote that the Warriors and Payton could find a new deal sometime soon, adding that he expects him back in Golden State.
“Similar to De’Anthony Melton, Payton appears to be waiting on the Warriors to either sign or move on from Jonathan Kuminga (perhaps via sign-and-trade). The veteran defensive wing has been a staple with the franchise.
“Payton’s ability to defend in the backcourt is an important complement to Steph Curry. Expect him back in Golden State before long,” he wrote.
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Payton will never wow anybody with offensive numbers, but all Warriors fans know what he brings to the court.
Payton certainly has his deficiencies as a player, but for the most part, he’s above average, and his defense always brings something.
He was also healthy for much of last season, appearing in 62 games.
This shows how much the Warriors must figure out over the next few weeks. Not only is the Kuminga situation playing out as poorly as possible, but many free agents are waiting for Golden State to decide.
