The Golden State Warriors may wind up regretting the loss of Dalen Terry on Tuesday, with the Western Conference rival Oklahoma City Thunder stealing the 24-year-old out of their G League program.
It should only serve to put more of a spotlight on the offseason re-signing of Gary Payton II, and why the Warriors felt the need to return to the well on a player who now provides little impact, and who has significantly less upside than a player like Terry.
Gary Payton II signing looks even worse after Thunder steal Dalen Terry
Payton did play 20 minutes and was on the floor in crucial moments down the stretch of Monday night's win over the Phoenix Suns, but that was a result of Golden State's injury issues and unavailability more than anything else.
Payton finished with two points, two rebounds, an assist and two turnovers. He missed both his three-point attempts as teams continue to leave him open from beyond the arc, including one in the final four minutes when the Warriors were clinging to a one-point lead.
The veteran guard is now averaging 4.6 points and 2.0 rebounds through the first seven games of the season, shooting an underwhelming 43.6% from the floor and 18.8% from three-point range. He also has more turnovers than assists on the season, and ranks equal-worst on the team in plus-minus.
It's not that the Payton minutes are a complete disaster, rather you just don't feel his presence or impact in a way that made him so valuable to the 2022 championship. This isn't the first time that fans have been left wondering when the front office will take a risk on a younger, higher upside option, rather than retaining faith in a 33-year-old who simply shouldn't be part of a healthy rotation.
Warriors should have gone with Dalen Terry over Gary Payton II
Terry may not have been a consistent rotation member for the Warriors either, but he at least proved in preseason that he can be a very productive player when given the opportunity. On the second night of a back-to-back in Portland with almost all the main rotation resting, Terry went for 23 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and four steals while shooting 9-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-5 from three-point range.
It was certainly the kind of eye-catching performance Terry needed after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers early in the offseason. Golden State, though, left themselves with practically no flexibility to keep Terry around as they'd filled out their roster and weren't about to waive the non-guaranteed contract of Brandon Williams.
The Thunder seemingly also took notice of that performance, and now the Warriors have been left perilous to stop the Thunder from landing a talented young player who could still have an NBA future.
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