Gary Payton II agreed to a three-year, $28 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers late Thursday, according to reports.
Payton II averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting over 61 percent from the field as a key role player for the Golden State Warriors last season.
The son of NBA Hall of Famer and former Seattle Sonics guard Gary Payton, Payton II is a Pacific Northwest native.
Payton II evolved from defensive specialist to a critical role player in the second half of the season. The Warriors won without him in the playoffs following an injury in the second-round series with the Memphis Grizzlies, but he returned in time for the NBA Finals, where Kerr noted his importance in multiple games of Golden State’s six-game victory over the Boston Celtics.
Payton II, 29, paid his dues in the G League and with three other NBA teams before his breakthrough with the Warriors. He logged 19-plus minutes in three of five Finals games.
–Field Level Media
