The Golden State Warriors can turn their attention to other free agency moves after missing out on LeBron James, including likely reunions with Draymond Green and veteran guard Gary Payton II.
While Green remains a key part of the Warriors, Payton has found himself on the edge of the roster and having to wait over the past two offseasons. As much as James' move to the Philadelphia 76ers leaves an extra roster spot to ensure Payton's return, it also brings a far greater sense of deflation in having the 33-year-old back.
LeBron James miss makes likely Gary Payton II reunion far more deflating
It might be totally unfair on Payton who actually played quite well over the final months of last season, but he's going to become a victim of the front office's decision to bring back essentially the same roster that just missed the playoffs.
The defensive-minded guard is in that middle ground where he's fine to have on the roster in the right circumstance when there's enough top end talent, such as in the 2021-22 championship season where he ranked eighth on the team in total minutes played.
But when there's not enough top-end talent, Payton is just another veteran role player who doesn't particularly swing a team's fate in either direction over an entire season. Had the Warriors landed James, reuniting with Payton would have been a reasonable move that likely would have faded into the background without any criticism.
Now that James has headed to Philadelphia, there's going to be an increased focus on what Golden State do to try and salvage things with the remainder of their roster. Payton is a beloved champion who's been at the franchise for the majority of the last five years, but bringing him back would still be an uninspiring move that fails to raise much hope.
Gary Payton II hasn't generated much interest over past two offseasons
If Payton was such a valued rotation player, he would have generated more interest in the past two offseasons like he did in 2022 when he signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, before returning to the Warriors via trade halfway through the first season.
Payton was briefly linked to the Los Angeles Lakers last offseason but otherwise there wasn't much reported interest, and the same can be said for this summer nearly a month into free agency. Part of that likely stems from Payton's love for Golden State and vice-versa, but it's also telling that no team has really come for him in a big way.
Again, this isn't too diminish Payton as a player and he can still play a role in the right scenario, it's just unfortunate that the Warriors haven't created that 'right scenario' by landing James or another big-name player.
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