Gary Payton II may soon be headed back to the Golden State Warriors, according to a new report from The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami.
Payton, who remains a free agent, has reportedly drawn interest from his former team as Golden State continues to assess its depth on the defensive end.
“I’ve heard rumbles about the return of Gary Payton II,” Kawakami wrote. “He remains unsigned, obviously is beloved throughout the organization, and always is a fit to defend the opponent’s most dangerous scorer.”
Payton played 62 games during the 2024–25 regular season for the Warriors, averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.8 steals per contest on 57.4% shooting.
He delivered one of his strongest postseason performances on April 26, scoring a playoff career-high 16 points in a first-round win over Houston to give Golden State a 2–1 series lead.
Originally acquired by the Warriors in 2020, Payton became a key rotation player during their 2022 championship run and later returned to the franchise in a four-team deal in February 2023.
Known for his perimeter defense and ability to guard multiple positions, the 31-year-old has career averages of 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 270 NBA games.
Payton has also shot 55.7% from the field and 34.0% from three-point range throughout his career, while providing consistent energy off the bench.
