Getty Gary Payton II guards LeBron James in an October 12 game.
If it were up to Steph Curry, Gary Payton II may have never made it to the final roster for the Golden State Warriors.
Now, three games into the season and three strong performances from Payton later, Curry is singing the praises of his new teammate. A last-minute addition to Golden State’s roster — Payton was officially signed just hours before the team opened the season against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 19 — the defensive-minded guard has earned some important minutes, scoring 10 points in Sunday’s win over the Sacramento Kings.
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Curry Initially Favored Another Player
While many close to the team believed that Payton had the inside track to winning the final roster spot during the open competition that the team held during training camp and the preseason, reports indicated that it was a different veteran guard who had Curry’s endorsement. Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported that Curry and fellow Warriors veteran Draymond Green were pushing for the team to sign Avery Bradley, who ultimately lost out to Payton.
“Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were among a group of strong advocates for keeping Bradley,” Thompson wrote. “The almost 31-year-old entering his 12th season didn’t look especially impactful in his preseason run. But those who favored Bradley weren’t at all concerned about how a proven veteran looked in preseason. Instead, they saw Bradley as someone with the credibility to help their hopes for a deep playoff run.”
The Warriors ended up cutting ties with both Bradley and Payton at first, releasing both at the conclusion of the preseason. Bradley signed on for a return to the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Warriors brought Payton back onto their roster last week on a revamped contract.
Gary Payton II provided a second-half spark tonight in the dub ⚡️
Payton Stands Out
Though he may have come in on the team’s final roster spot, Payton has not been stuck at the end of the bench through the team’s first three games. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic noted, Payton has already settled into a role as a defensive specialist, subbing in for end-of-quarter situations where the Warriors are guarding a final possession from an opponent.
He’s also showed an offensive touch, making two three-pointers to start the fourth quarter against the Kings in Sunday’s win. Payton and the reserves helped to maintain a lead while Curry was on the bench, setting the team up for what would be the third straight win.
With his strong start to the year, Payton has also impressed Curry. When asked if Payton’s play showed the value of the team filling the final roster spot, the two-time MVP answered: “Thousand percent.”
Did GP2’s night show the value of the Warriors filling that 15th roster spot?
Steph Curry: “Thousand percent.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also expressed a bit of relief that the Warriors were able to bring Payton back onto the final roster. In releasing him at the end of the preseason, the team was vulnerable to losing Payton to another team while working on his new contract, Slater noted.
“Gary’s been fighting for his spot in the league for years,” Kerr said, via The Athletic. “So if somebody picked him up, I would’ve been happy for him. But selfishly, I wanted him for our roster.”
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