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Expectations for the Warriors entering the 2026-27 NBA season are as low as they’ve been in years. That’s the way Gary Payton II likes it, too. “It’s funny,” Payton said Sunday to NBC Sports Bay Area on the ninth floor of Chase Center. “It kind of gives, in a sense, a ‘22 feeling. We’re not expected to do anything, but we still got a pretty good veteran core, and we got some talented young guys. The goal this year, the motto for me, is stay healthy and have fun.”
![We got 30 [Stephen Curry], we got [Draymond Green]. …](https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/gcdn/content-pipeline-sports-images/sports2/nba/players/338365.png?format=png8&auto=webp&quality=85,75&width=140)
“Down the line, young guys are gonna win some games for us and give our vet guys some time to rest and chill,” Payton said. “And when it’s time, when it matters, I think you know we’re always going to show up. We got 30 [Stephen Curry], we got [Draymond Green]. When we get Jimmy [Butler] and we get Moses [Moody] back, you never know. We just got to play the right ball until the right time and see what happens.”
Shams Charania: Free agent Gary Payton II has agreed on a one-year, $3.9 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN. Payton returns to the Warriors for his seventh year in the Bay Area -- and his 11th NBA season.
– What was Steph’s demeanor like as he was trying to get back on the court again? Gary Payton II: “It was normal ‘Wardell’ demeanor. Once his body was right, everything else would follow. He was just getting his rhythm.”
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– You’re one of the very few that can call Steph by that name. How did you get that pass? Gary Payton II: “It’s just a bond, I guess you could say. It was kind of shaky in the beginning. But I guess he allowed me to continue to call him that. He never told me not to, so I can do it.”
– Draymond said that you can play off of Steph better than he can. What do you think of that? Gary Payton II: “I don’t know about that. They had a decade and some change with each other. I just try to get as much info and intel as I can from both of them to make it easier for the both of them. So I definitely took some things from Draymond with Steph. And I definitely took some things from Steph for Draymond. So to just play off of those guys, they make it very easy on the court on both ends. So as much as I can feed and grab intel from them, it makes my life easier.”
As the rest of the basketball world wonders what comes next for Kerr and the Warriors, he remains unbothered. His passion is evident on that quiet afternoon in Detroit. At the end of a conversation with The Athletic, he’s asked what still motivates him to get out of bed after all that he’s already accomplished in the game. Before he can answer, veteran guard Gary Payton II, one of Kerr’s favorites, walks over with a smile and gives his coach a tap on the knee. Kerr smiles back and offers a knowing nod. “This,” Kerr said. “Coming in and seeing the guys and having a film session, trying to help them win. And having dinner with the coaches, and the camaraderie that exists when you are in the foxhole together. You’ve lost five in a row, and it sucks — it’s all relative. It sucks, but it’s so awesome to be with a group of great guys and try to win a basketball game. I love all of it. And you have to embrace the challenge and the fact that every year’s just gonna be different.”
Anthony Slater: Gary Payton II on the impact of Steph Curry's return: "I get layups. Wide open layups." Warriors have a 118.0 offensive rating with Curry on the floor this season, 110.2 with him off the floor.
Anthony Slater: Kristaps Porzingis will sit tomorrow night vs the Spurs. Hasn’t been cleared for both sides of back-to-backs yet. De’Anthony Melton out with a thumb strain. Gui Santos and Gary Payton II questionable. Warriors face Cavaliers on Thursday.
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Anthony Slater: Kristaps Porzingis is out tonight in Atlanta with lower back tightness. Jonathan Kuminga is off the injury report and cleared to face the Warriors. Questionable: Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Quinten Post.
So as speculation swirls about NBA expansion and bringing the Sonics back to Seattle, Payton II’s answer about bringing a team back to his second home was immediate. “Request a trade to Seattle,” Payton II recently told The Athletic. “Probably.” He (probably) isn’t kidding. The love for Seattle and the Sonics is still in his heart. “Respectfully. I love it here so much. But if we do (have a Seattle team) when I’m still here, I definitely want to go back and play there,” he added.
We started the conversation about what it would mean for you to be able to play in Seattle — so we’ll end it here. If the team does come back — what would it mean to you personally? It was like a dream come true all over again. To be able to see them, to be able to go there and we have an opportunity to sit down and watch a game. Hopefully they can do it here in a few years so I can possibly go back and put on a Seattle SuperSonics jersey. But other than that, it’s for the basketball culture. Even if I do play for them or not, it will be good for the city of Seattle and good for the NBA.
Will Richard scored 21 points, Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II added 19 apiece and the Golden State Warriors routed the Memphis Grizzlies 133-112 on Wednesday night in a game between two teams depleted by injuries. Gui Santos added 17 points as eight of the nine Golden State players who saw action reached double figures. The ninth player, Malevy Leons, had nine points.
