Gary Payton II may have seen his minutes dwindle at times since his significant impact in the 2022 championship run, yet the veteran guard has always remained a favorite of Steve Kerr at the Golden State Warriors.
That might be until now as Kerr and the Warriors realize Payton is no longer the defensive menace he once was, something that many will believe is long overdue after more limited impact even since his return to the franchise at the 2023 mid-season deadline.
Warriors are coming to a brutal Gary Payton II realization
The need to move past Payton in favor of younger players might be a brutal one, but it's also a necessary one at this point of his career.