SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors commitment to running back last season’s roster was re-affirmed on Saturday afternoon.
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Golden State announced that it re-signed veteran Gary Payton II to a new contract. League sources confirmed to the Bay Area News Group that the contract was a one-year, 3.9 million deal.
After striking out in the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes, Warriors have also brought back De’Anthony Melton, Kristaps Porzingis, Draymond Green, Charles Bassey and Al Horford.
They remain the only franchise to not make a new non-draft addition to their roster. Golden State went 37-45 last season and was bounced in the play-in tournament, and now have two more open roster spots.
Payton, 33, will return for his seventh season in the Bay Area. Though no longer the unstoppable athlete and lockdown defender he was in his 20’s, Payton is coming off his best offensive season.
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He averaged a career-high 7.5 points per game and made 58.3% of his field goals. Perhaps most-surprisingly in a season where almost every player on the roster missed extensive time with injuries, Payton played a career-high 73 games.
He will likely be asked to play a sizable role again this season as Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler are expected to miss most of the season with knee injuries.
Payton will join Gui Santos, Will Richard and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg on the wing.
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