First it was Al Horford, then it was De'Anthony Melton, and now there's a third player that's emerged as all but guaranteed to being on the Golden State Warriors roster once Jonathan Kuminga's future is finalized.
Veteran guard Gary Payton II has joined Horford and Melton as basically an assured signing for the Warriors, at least according to NBA insider Jake Fischer in multiple reports over the last week.
Gary Payton II shouldn't be a guaranteed signing for the Warriors
While we can start planning for Payton's return and his potential spot in Steve Kerr's rotation next season, it's still worth asking the question on whether his spot on the roster should be such a fait accompli.
It's a predictable move for Golden State to make, ensuring they retain an experienced, much-loved member of the locker room after losing another in Kevon Looney who departed for the New Orleans Pelicans on a two-year, $16 million deal at the start of free agency.
That doesn't make it the right one though, particularly given Payton's on-court production is also rather predictable since returning to the Warriors following his brief and forgettable stint with the Portland Trail Blazers to start the 2022-23 season.
After being re-acquired in a multi-team trade that sent former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons, Payton has averaged 16.0, 15.5 and 15 minutes for Golden State over the last three seasons.
That's not to say his production is bad -- he remains arguably the team's best perimeter defender, even if injuries have slowed him down slightly. His ability to play with Stephen Curry also brings value, having built connection that allows him to make timely cuts to the rim where he finishes effectively, which combined with his capacity to roll to the rim as a 6'2" guard has seen him dubbed "the little big man."
But beyond that Payton is also a very limited offensive player. Teams will simply never respect his 3-point shooting, even if he had a period after the All-Star break where he was knocking them down at a high clip. For some teams it wouldn't be a huge issue, but with the likes of Kuminga and Draymond Green there can often be one too many non-spacing threats on the floor.
Having started his career as a point guard, he's a more than capable ball-handler in transition. Yet he's also not providing much in the way of playmaking, nor is he providing anything in the form of individual shot-creation.
For a team that's a step behind the top tier in the Western Conference, there's an argument to be made that the Warriors should be taking a risk with their final few roster spots. Rather than the likes of Payton and Seth Curry who will predictably average 12-15 minutes per game, sign someone who could have more impact and become a 20-minute per game player if things break right.
Malcolm Brogdon springs to mind as someone who comes with significant injury risk, yet who won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award just two years ago. Why is Payton seemingly above him in terms of free agency priorities?
This is not to say that Payton should absolutely NOT be on the roster next season, but that the Warriors should still evaluate all possibilities once the Kuminga situation is finally settled.