Former Warriors guard Gary Payton II finalizing deal with Portland Trail Blazers
Ever since Gary Payton II went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2016, the now 29-year-old bounced around the league and G League mainly as a fringe player, signing 10-day and two-way deals before he found his home with the Warriors this season.
But this free agency period has been different for Payton, who’s penned one heck of an underdog story despite being the namesake of the NBA’s biggest stars in the ‘90s.
Payton, no longer at the liberty of NBA franchises being willing to take a chance on him, was able to dictate the market for himself. And now, he’s finalizing a three-year, $28 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Thursday night.
The Warriors viewed Payton as a top target for free agency and one of their best perimeter defenders, but were reportedly unwilling to match the lucrative offer the Trail Blazers put together.
Payton provided a key spark off the bench for the Warriors last season, his first full campaign in the NBA, as his presence alone changed the flow of games. Known for his ballhounding defense, Payton served as a defensive ace for Golden State.
This payday for Payton is well deserved.
After being cut during training camp, the Warriors decided to bring him back in October to fill the 15th spot on their roster.
Since then, Payton blossomed into one of Golden State’s biggest contributors off the bench and will be a key piece for the Trail Blazers moving forward. He led the Warriors in deflections (180) and steals (96) this season while playing an average of 17.6 minutes per game. In 71 games, he averaged 7.1 points on 61.6% shooting and 3.5 rebounds.
For now, the Warriors will have to find another suitable defensive-minded guard who can fill the void left by Payton.
Kevon Looney expected to re-sign with Warriors on 3-year, $25.5M deal
After some early losses to free agency, the Warriors reportedly secured a key piece in their 2022 title run.
Three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney has agreed to a three-year, $25.5 million deal to return to the Warriors, league sources confirmed Friday afternoon.
Looney was widely considered the Warriors’ top free-agent priority. The importance of re-signing him, which was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, was heightened when rotational players like Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. reportedly took deals elsewhere.
At 26, Looney, whom the Warriors picked 30th overall in the 2015 NBA draft, is in his prime and played his best and most complete season in the NBA. Hampered by injuries in past years, Looney played all 82 regular-season games for the Warriors for the first time in his career, averaging six points, 7.3 rebounds and two assists. He was essential in the Warriors pursuit for their fourth title in eight years.
Looney snatched a career-high 22 rebounds in the Warriors’ seriesclinching Game 6 win over the Memphis Grizzlies to advance to the Western Conference finals. He also scored a career-high 21 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, a blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Re-signing Looney seemed like a no-brainer for the Warriors, who were thin at center last season. He adds pressure on the boards and in the paint. It also takes some pressure off of James Wiseman, the former No. 2 overall pick who missed all of last season with persistent knee issues.
It’s still unclear when Wiseman will return to live game action. He’s been testing his knee at Summer League practices and hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery since receiving an orthobiologic injection in his arm in April about a month after the Warriors shut him down for the season. The goal is for Wiseman to play in the latter part of the Las Vegas portion of Summer League later this month.