Before Dillon Brooks took out Gary Payton II in the second round, the Golden State Warriors guard made a name for himself in the playoffs with his hard-nosed defense and knack for making big plays. This came after a regular season in which Payton finally became a legitimate rotation player, which followed years of him bouncing around the NBA.
Payton has become a fan favorite, and he's also loved in the locker room as well. Warriors star Stephen Curry certainly appreciates what GP2 brings to the table. In an emotional article in The Players' Tribune, Payton relayed Curry's message to Bob Myers about him:
I always tell Steph, I tease him now, like: “Don’t ever let me change uniforms down the line and come get you. Don’t let that happen.” He just laughs. He plays along, though, too. We’ll see Bob Myers at the practice facility, and Steph will be like, “Don’t let that man go nowhere and have him guarding me in games. I don’t need that, Bob.” Hearing something like that from Steph? It means everything.
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Payton's defense is ferocious, and you wouldn't blame Curry for not wanting to face that at any point in the future. The Warriors are happy to have Payton on their side right now.
Of course, there's always a chance Payton will leave Golden State. The Dubs have an extremely expensive roster already that will only get more expensive when Jordan Poole gets paid. Payton is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will want a raise on the $1.9 million contract he's making this season.
But before worrying about that, the Warriors are hoping Payton is able to come back in these playoffs after suffering a fractured left elbow just over two weeks ago. As he says in the article, he's working hard to get back as Golden State faces the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.
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