OAKLAND — Stepping away from an adoring crowd and hearing the question about his future, Gary Payton II’s grin stretched toward his earlobes before he replied.The versatile veteran is returning to Golden State Warriors — the place he calls home.
“It’s done,” Payton told NBC Sports Bay Area on Saturday at Fremont High School, where he joined former Golden State teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson in donating backpacks and other school supplies to local students.
“It’s already done.”
What’s done is a signature on a one-year contract worth $3.9 million for Payton to return to the franchise with which he has spent nearly 80 percent of his NBA career. Though he was an unrestricted free agent, technically on the open market, he had no desire to leave the place where he found basketball happiness.
That explains the broad grin. GPII #DubNation pic.twitter.com/tl47klFZK0
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) August 1, 2026 What the Warriors need is a bounce-back season from GP2.
There have been two primary factors behind Payton’s...