With news that the NBA is looking at adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, the Golden State Warriors have to be thinking about which players they would protect in an expansion draft and which ones they would leave exposed. One veteran Warriors player seems like he'd be an obvious departure in a potential draft.
With the potential for a team returning to Seattle, one naturally thinks about Gary Payton, the father of Warriors veteran Gary Payton II. Payton Sr. played over a decade with the Seattle SuperSonics on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Naturally, it would make sense for his son to be part of a new Seattle franchise if it comes to fruition.
Gary Payton II seems like an obvious departure to Seattle expansion team
Payton II has been a solid player for the Warriors for years. Known primarily for his defense, he's a valuable role player even if his play can be somewhat inconsistent at times. He might just be playing his way into a new contract with the team as he is set to hit free agency.
He's had to play a lot with the team facing so many injuries concerns, and has played really well in averaging over 10 points per game over his last five contests. That sort of play could earn him a decent contract from a team, whether it be the Warriors or another interested rival.
Obviously, if Payton II ends up signing with another team, Golden State won't have to worry about a decision on whether to protect him or not from an expansion draft. But if he gets a two or three-year deal from Golden State, they might be in a position where they'd be okay with letting him go.
Payton is 33-years-old meaning he'd be firmly in his mid-thirties if he was still with the Warriors when an expansion draft took place. Golden State would have to be more interested in protecting young players, or veterans stars like Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
It's tough to project ahead since so much is still unknown about what a draft expansion would look like, but potentially the Warriors would have to expose a guy like Gui Santos who just signed a three-year extension with the franchise.
Given Payton's ties to Seattle though, he makes a ton of sense to end up on the next iteration of a Seattle basketball franchise.