Gary Payton II will return to the Warriors next season.
The veteran guard opted into his $9.1 million contract option for the 2024-25 NBA season, ESPN's Kendra Andrews reported Wednesday, citing sources.
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Payton spent two seasons (2020-2022) with the Warriors before signing a free-agent contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2022. Payton then returned to Golden State in a midseason trade during the 2022-23 season.
Multiple leg injuries limited Payton to just 44 games during the 2023-24 season in which he averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while continuing to play lockdown defense for the Warriors off the bench.
As the Warriors look to improve defensively this offseason, Payton will be an important piece in coach Steve Kerr's rotations at least for one more season.
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