Gary Payton not sure son will be able to return to Warriors next season

Gary Payton II has played his way into a significant pay raise this offseason.

After signing with the Warriors before training camp and earning the 15th and final roster spot heading into the 2021-22 season, Payton's defense and energy off the bench have proven to be integral factors in Golden State's second unit.

His father, NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, spoke to Heavy.com's Sean Deveney about his son's future with the team, casting doubt that the Warriors will be able to re-sign him given the current state of the team's payroll.

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“I would never tell my son not to explore something that would be better or would be best for him,” Payton told Heavy. “But I think he understands that Golden State is the best situation for him if there is playing time and they get it right. But if it doesn’t work out, he knows that this is a business and he has to move on. I think he wants to stay with the Golden State Warriors and I think the Warriors want to stay with him. But as you understand, this is a business. They’re capped up. They gotta pay Draymond [Green], they gotta pay [Stephen] Curry, they gotta pay Klay [Thompson], now they’re going to give [Jordan] Poole a lot of money. So I don’t know how that’s going to work out.

“Our agent is going to give him the best advice and do what he has got to do. But I don’t think my son is a dummy. Because he’s my son.”

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GP2, a five-year NBA veteran, has already played for four teams. After putting together the best season of his career with the Warriors, it would be no surprise if the two sides have a mutual interest in Payton II returning to the Bay.