Warriors get notable contract prediction with son of Hall of Famer

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The Golden State Warriors are grabbing free agency headlines because of their involvement in the pursuit of LeBron James.

They've got some other things to figure out this offseason, too, even if they aren't as exciting.

That includes Gary Payton II, who is on the open market.

Payton, whose father is a Hall of Famer, has been a solid NBA role player for a while now.

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In a lot of ways, he makes sense for the Warriors to keep. And the good news is that Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus agrees with that sentiment in his latest free agent rankings.

"It's difficult to imagine Steph Curry's Warriors without Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr," Pincus writes. "Similarly, the team just seems better with Payton providing perimeter defense, making back-cuts to the basket, and even hitting an occasional three-point shot. The Warriors and Kerr decided to continue the relationship; a Curry extension seems inevitable, and while losing Payton wouldn't be as odd to adjust to as Klay Thompson moving on, pencil Payton back in with Golden State."

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Because the Warriors are waiting to see what happens with other moves, it's unlikely Payton signs immediately.

But given their comfort with one another, Golden State and Payton seem likely to reunite eventually.

"The team probably can't afford more than a minimum deal, but he should be comfortable sticking at that price," Pincus writes. "If not, he will earn some interest from others who need his defensive pedigree."

Payton is 33 years old now, but on an old Warriors team, that's still a bit younger than the stars. He'd fit right in for one more chase of a championship.