As the Golden State Warriors await the decision of LeBron James, every free agent signing delivers another blow to their potential depth.
Granted, missing out on pieces like Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton is just a natural part of the gamble they took by entering the James sweepstakes. Even if James winds up elsewhere, it was always worth taking the risk.
But as pieces like Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams exit the open market, the path toward filling out the roster becomes steeper and steeper. Every team that is in on James, moreover, will be scrambling to fill out their roster when he inevitably makes his decision.
Golden State has the inside track on one of the most energetic and reliable pieces left, however— Gary Payton II. As the free agent market continues to thin out, his return only seems more irresistible.
Gary Payton II makes perfect sense for the Warriors at this point, even if he's not their ideal offseason addition
As of now, the Warriors still have four open roster spots remaining. No matter what James' final decision is, one of those will be filled by Draymond Green on his new deal. That leaves, at minimum, two roster spots to be filled between now and the start of the season.
More than anything at this juncture, Golden State needs backcourt depth. LJ Cryer looked like a real candidate for a guaranteed contract in Summer League. But with departure of Pat Spencer and the likely departure of Seth Curry, the team needs to add a reliable contributor to help back up Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and De'Anthony Melton.
Payton may not be the productive, floor-spacing shooting guard that would be ideal for the Warriors this offseason, but he's certainly earned Steve Kerr's trust.
Even as he averaged just 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 29.1% from beyond the arc last season, Kerr continued to employ him in a variety of situations. His minutes took a hit in the final three games of the campaign, but he averaged 23.6 minutes per game between March 1 and April 7, and he was relatively efficient on offense during that span.
Payton, who has spent parts of six seasons over his decade-long career in Golden State, would certainly welcome a reunion. With teams scrambling for the remaining veteran free agents, that could be an important advantage for the Warriors.
The addition of Yaxel Lendeborg and the looming emergences of Cryer and Will Richard would likely cut into Payton's minutes if he returned. But this roster needs the right mix of veteran contributors and young, energetic talent— and Payton could be the exact middle-ground type of player that Kerr could look to add this offseason.
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