The Golden State Warriors are keeping an important rotation player who was a vital contributor to their 2022 NBA Championship run.
Point guard Gary Payton II, known for his defensive work and intangibles, will opt-in to his 2024-25 player option, which will be the final year of his current deal.
The 31-year-old's 2024-25 player option will be worth $9.1 million, and he will have the choice of signing a new extension with Golden State this summer, according to team insider Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
Payton dealt with numerous injuries during the 2023-24 season, playing in only 44 of the 82 regular season games and 66 of the 124 games since returning to the team in February 2023.
The 6-foot-2 player missed 13 consecutive games between November and December 2023 due to a right calf strain, followed by another 16 straight games from January to February 2024 because of a left hamstring strain.
Gary Payton II left the Warriors briefly
Payton II briefly left the Bay Area squad following their 2022 NBA title run.
After commanding lucrative offers that the Warriors couldn't match, he signed a three-year deal worth $28 million with the Portland Trail Blazers that summer.
However, a core muscle injury that required surgery delayed his debut with the Blazers until January 2023.
Payton II was traded back to Golden State in February 2023 in a deal that unloaded 2020 second-overall pick James Wiseman from the Dubs.
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