Gary Payton II is returning to the Bay Area on a one-year contract. Don’t take my word for it, here is what Payton told Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“It’s done. It’s already done.”
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The Warriors also announced the deal.
This is a one-year contract for the veteran minimum of $3.9 million (counting as only $2.4 million against the cap for Golden State).
Peyton has spent most of the last six seasons with the Warriors (aside from a brief detour with the Trail Blazers) and last season averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, playing about 15 minutes a night and getting into 73 games. At age 33, he remains a solid rotation player who is a plus defender on the perimeter and can get a few buckets when needed. While he’s not a great 3-point shooter (29.1% last season) he’s a high-IQ veteran who is fantastic at cutting and moving off the ball, which fits perfectly into the Warriors egalitarian offense.
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The signing leaves the Warriors about $8.3 million below where they are hard-capped at the second apron, with two roster spots to fill (although they can enter the season with 14 players). They can easily fill out the rest of the roster with minimum contracts.
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