Warriors linked to reunion with 6-foot-2 ex-Lakers guard, NBA champion

The perception surrounding the Golden State Warriors hinges on their finish in the ongoing LeBron James sweepstakes.

Landing the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar will help the Dubs compete at a higher level than usual, while missing out on the 22-time Star will likely result in the organization landing in the Play-In tournament for the third time in four years. 

Would pivoting to a potential reunion with a former Los Angeles Lakers guard and NBA champion help salvage Golden State's title odds? It’s safe to say the answer to that question is a resounding no, but that didn’t stop Heavy’s Sean Deveney from linking the two parties on Thursday.

“What is surprising is that the Warriors have not chosen to do anything besides bring back their own players,” Deveney stated. “They could opt to bring back Gary Payton II soon. But there have been options that they could have added while waiting on James, but chose not to do so.”

Payton, who appeared in 11 games with the Lakers in 2017-18, has been a high-energy perimeter defender and sometimes serviceable three-point shooter with the Warriors in the early to late 2020s (he won a title with the franchise in 2022).

The Oregon State product averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals with the Dubs last season, shooting 58.3% from the field and 29.1% from three-point land. Given that Payton isn’t a game-changer contributor who will help give Stephen Curry keep hope alive in the Bay, it makes sense why Golden State isn’t prioritizing the undrafted guard.

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