For the first time since his return to the franchise at the 2023 mid-season trade deadline, Gary Payton II was a DNP in the Golden State Warriors rotation despite being available against the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center on Tuesday night.
The beloved veteran guard was brought back onto the roster following Jonathan Kuminga's free agency saga, but Steve Kerr and the Warriors have seemingly realized that they need to move on from Payton as a core rotation piece going forward.
Gary Payton II saw his first DNP in years for the Warriors on Tuesday night
Payton's minutes had been dwindling anyway through the first seven games, having averaged 15 minutes per game last season which rose to 16.