Steve Kerr's desire for younger legs next season could put a number of veteran players on notice heading into free agency, including fan-favorite guard Gary Payton II who will again be looking for a new contract.
Payton enjoyed one of the better seasons of his career, but at 33-years-old he could be a victim of Golden State's wish to go younger in an attempt to rejuvenate their hopes of another deep playoff run in the Stephen Curry era.
Warriors comments could spell bad news for Gary Payton II
Payton was one of the last players signed to the main Warrior roster last offseason, having been forced to accept a minimum contract after previously being on a three-year, $27 million deal.
After a couple of DNPs and limited impact early in the season, Payton really capitalized on Golden State's myriad of injury issues from February onwards, producing one of the best periods of his career despite the lack of team success.
From February 5 onwards, Payton averaged 12.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals, shooting an incredible 61.5% from the floor as his finishing around the basket once again became a major highlight.
The fact he did that without Stephen Curry on the floor changed his reputation as a player who was seen as someone who simply thrived playing alongside the 2x MVP. That could make Payton more appealing to rival teams in free agency, but there's no doubt he'd ideally like his Warrior career to continue.
"We need some younger legs."
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) May 15, 2026
Steve Kerr has said multiple times the Warriors can't have so many players who can't play back-to-backs and he can't rest such important players so often going forward
Whether or not Golden State will hold mutual interest in another free agency reunion remains to be seen, especially given they'll have to make some brutal roster moves to successfully go a little younger with their roster next season.
Gary Payton II may have to wait for other roster decisions
As good as he was over the final months of the season, Payton is still a role player who may have to take a backseat to other priorities in free agency. The Warriors may want go younger, but they also want to bring back a soon to be 40-year-old Al Horford, while still being led by a 38-year-old Curry and 36-year-old's Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
If Golden State do want to go younger, other veteran players may need to be sacrificed. Seth Curry is an obvious player who may feel the force of that, but it could extend to Payton despite appearing in a career-high 73 games this season.
There's still a strong likelihood that Payton has done enough to earn another contract with the Warriors, but the franchise has signalled a new direction that could make the 2022 champion a little nervous over his fate.
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