Warriors Planning to Guarantee Gary Payton II’s Contract
Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr addressed the media before the team took on the Pelicans on Jan. 6. When prompted about Warriors guard Gary Payton II’s upcoming contract, Kerr made a bold statement.
“I’m gonna make that decision right now,” Kerr said. “We’re going to guarantee him the rest of the year. Gary is the real deal. He will be in our rotation in any big game.”
This statement should not surprise anyone familiar with the Warriors this season.
Early in training camp, Payton beat out veteran guards Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway for the final coveted spot.
Payton is no stranger to hard work and perseverance. After going undrafted in 2016, the 6’3” guard started his career with the Rio Grande Vipers, which eventually led to his first NBA contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since then, he’s been bouncing back and forth from the G-League and now finally seems to have found some stability.
Much of the Warriors’ success has gone into the depth of the team, and Payton adds to that depth with his versatility and quickness on defense as well as his high-flying dunks and timely threes on offense.
It’s easy to see why the Warriors made this decision.
In his last eight games, Payton has averaged 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field and 41% from three. On the defensive end, Payton has a total of 49 steals and nine blocks on the season while having a defensive rating of 98.7.
As Warriors analyst Kelenna Azubuike likes to say, “Dribble around Gary Payton at your own risk!”
It’s true that while Payton will occasionally shock opponents with his jaw-dropping dunks, he makes his living on the defensive end.
As the son of The Glove, The Young Glove has taken up his father’s reputation on defense and has been terrorizing the opponent’s offense all season.
Additionally, his 3-point shooting has been somewhat of a revelation as of late. With the Warriors searching for any sort of offensive production with these inconsistent lineups, Payton has been striping the long ball and improved his shooting stroke.
When asked about the upcoming contract situation, Payton commented that he knows the date, but isn’t focused on that.
“Just trying to get better every day,” Payton said. “Continue to help my team, runoff these wins, and get better. But I kinda know the date though.”
Even though Payton has been a fan-favorite and been consistently in the rotation, Payton never relaxed and kept on grinding to earn his spot on the team.
“Negative,” Payton said. “Not a moment or a time where I felt safe. I guess I don’t know if I still do. I guess Coach Kerr said what he said so you know it is what it is. I’m just thrilled and excited to be here and continue to help this team win.”
(Photo credit: Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images)