Whenever the Jonathan Kuminga saga is finally resolved, Gary Payton II intends to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors. It's a development that falls in line with the need for depth on a roster that's already found its big three.
Moreover, it's confirmation that the Warriors haven't lost the opportunity to build a contender due to the excruciating restrictions that have resulted from the months-long negotiations with Kuminga.
Golden State has put the pieces in place to make a run at a championship. Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green have the potential to set the standard for big threes, with accolades and postseason success in abundance between them. The financial ramifications of the Kuminga saga, however, have prevented the Warriors from adding to the roster during the 2025 offseason.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Payton has been in touch with the Warriors and remains patient as they work out the logistics of how he can re-sign once the Kuminga saga concludes.
"A lot of the ancillary pieces, these veterans like De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II...All these veterans have been patient and in full communication, to my understanding, with the Warriors' front office that they would be amenable to finding some type of agreement once any possible sign-and-trade situation with Jonathan Kuminga got resolved."
Payton has spent the better part of five seasons with the Warriors and remains on pace to add to his legacy as a fan favorite.
Gary Payton waiting Jonathan Kuminga process out, hopes to re-sign
Payton, 32, was a key contributor when the Warriors won the 2021-22 NBA championship. His defensive intensity and all-out effort on the offensive glass made him a thorn in opposing teams' sides whenever he was on the court.
That materialized on multiple occasions during the 2022 postseason, including a 15-point and three-steal performance in a crucial Game 5 win during the NBA Finals.
It's been three years since then, but Payton has remained an essential figure in the Warriors' locker room and rotation. He briefly departed to play for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022-23, but was back with Golden State by the end of the season.
Payton has remained with the franchise ever since, but injuries have unfortunately limited his availability.
Thankfully, the Warriors saw a change for the positive on that front in 2024-25. Payton appeared in 62 games for Steve Kerr, averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 offensive boards, and 0.8 steals in 15.0 minutes per game.
Those numbers translate to 15.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 offensive boards, and 2.0 steals per 36 minutes—impressive production that's accentuated by his 57.4 percent shooting from the field.
A no-nonsense player who takes care of the ball offensively, creates turnovers defensively, and crashes the glass at a high level for his position, Payton is a valuable contributor. That much was proven again in 2024-25, when the Warriors outscored opponents by 3.4 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.
The Kuminga saga continues to leave the Warriors in limbo, but it appears as though Payton will be back with the team once it's been resolved.