“We need some younger legs.”
Steve Kerr has said multiple times the Warriors can’t have so many players who can’t play back-to-backs and he can’t rest such important players so often going forward
Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been clear about what they want this offseason. Steve Kerr is back. Stephen Curry is staying. And the organization has publicly acknowledged the need to get younger after a season derailed by injuries and inconsistent availability.
That kind of directional shift tends to create casualties. For some veterans on the roster, the offseason message from the front office will carry an uncomfortable undertone.
Gary Payton II is one player who will be paying close attention.
GettyGary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors.
Payton signed a minimum contract last offseason after previously being on a three-year, $27 million deal, a significant step down that reflected his market value at the time. He had a limited impact early in the season before injuries to key Warriors players opened the door for a much larger role from February onward.
He made the most of it. From February 5 onwards, Payton averaged 12.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting an remarkable 61.5 percent from the floor, finishing around the basket at a level that reminded everyone what he is capable of when given consistent minutes.
Perhaps most importantly, he did it largely without Curry on the floor. That mattered. Payton had long carried a reputation as a player who thrived specifically alongside Curry, and his late-season production challenged that narrative in a meaningful way. It could make him more appealing to rival teams in free agency, which is both a good and complicated thing for Golden State.
The Warriors want to get younger. That is not a vague aspiration at this point. Kerr has been direct about it, saying the team needs “some younger legs” and cannot keep managing veterans through back-to-backs and rest days the way they have in recent seasons. It has been stated clearly by both Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy. But the reality of their roster makes that goal harder to execute cleanly than it might appear.
Golden State also wants to bring back Al Horford, who will be 40 years old next season. Curry is 38. Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are both 36. The age profile of the core is not changing dramatically regardless of what happens around the edges.
That context makes the Warriors’ desire to go younger feel more like a roster philosophy than an immediate overhaul. But someone has to make way, and Payton, despite appearing in a career-high 73 games this season, could find himself on the wrong side of those decisions.
Seth Curry is another veteran who may feel the pressure of the new direction. But Payton’s situation is arguably more complicated given the investment other teams may be willing to make after his strong finish.
“We need some younger legs.”
Steve Kerr has said multiple times the Warriors can’t have so many players who can’t play back-to-backs and he can’t rest such important players so often going forward
GettyGary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors.
There is a reasonable case that Payton has done enough to earn another contract with the Warriors. His defensive value is real, his finishing is elite, and his locker room presence is well regarded inside the organization. The late-season stretch showed he can still contribute at a high level when given the opportunity.
But the Warriors are also entering one of the more consequential offseasons in recent memory. Decisions on Butler, Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and potential blockbuster trade targets will take priority. Payton may simply have to wait and see what is left once the bigger pieces fall into place.
Payton delivered when the Warriors needed him most. That counts for something.
Whether it counts for enough in an offseason defined by bigger questions remains to be seen. The Warriors are signaling change. Not everyone will survive it.
Payton has earned another shot. Whether it comes in Golden State is the question.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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