After being linked to current and former Golden State Warriors guards Gary Payton II and De'Anthony Melton, the Los Angeles Lakers have secured their back court defensive presence with the notable addition of Marcus Smart on Saturday.
The Lakers are signing Smart to a two-year, $11 million contract according to ESPN's Shams Charania, with the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year having finalized a buyout with the rebuilding Washington Wizards.
Marcus Smart's move to L.A. may upset the future of Gary Payton II
With so many veteran guards still remaining in free agency, Smart's arrival at the Lakers could have a domino effect on where certain players head. While the latest Lakers signing all but seals Melton's return to the Warriors after being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in December, things are far less certain for Payton as he looks for another deal.
The 32-year-old raised eyebrows recently when he changed agents to be represented by Bill Duffy of WME Sports. Speculation surged that Payton was even more on the Lakers radar as a result, with Duffy also representing superstar Luka Doncic along with big men Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
However, the signing of Smart may just ruin any thought of Payton heading to Los Angeles where he could have filled the void of perimeter defense on the Laker roster. Payton does have a history with the franchise, having played 11 games for the Lakers in the 2017-18 season before becoming a bonafide NBA rotation player with the Warriors years later.
Aside from a move to Los Angeles or a return to Golden State, there hasn't been much in the way of speculation on Payton's next team. The 2022 NBA champion averaged 15 minutes in his 62 appearances for the Warriors last season, posting 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 57.4% from the floor and 32.6% from 3-point range.
Perhaps Payton will re-sign with Golden State once the franchise solidifies the future of restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but even that doesn't feel like a fait accompli given what else is in the works.
A healthy Melton is an upgrade on Payton and would probably remove the veteran from the rotation, while the Warriors may also prefer to save some money and sign second-round pick Will Richard to place him on the main roster.
Whatever happens, it's fair to say that Payton will be taking a significant pay cut back to the minimum after just completing a three-year, $27 million contract he signed in the 2022 offseason.