Gary Payton II, the son of Hall of Famer Gary “The Glove” Payton, hasn’t exactly taken a smooth, straight-line route to the NBA.
His journey was more of a grind-it-out, prove-it-everywhere-you-go climb. He went from a solid college player at Oregon State to multiple NBA/G League stints before finally breaking out with the Golden State Warriors in 2021–22.
After several ups and downs during his Warriors tenure, the Young Glove has found consistency again— and he’s giving Golden State a much-needed boost in an injury-riddled stretch over the past fortnight.
Payton’s long-winded journey to the league
Gary Payton II went undrafted in 2016 despite averaging 16 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.5 steals in his final season at Oregon State. He entered the draft process labeled as a disruptive defender — a rebounding guard with playmaking abilities — but at just 6-foot-2, teams clearly had questions about the fit.
After going undrafted, he landed with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (affiliated with the Houston Rockets), where he quickly showed he was well above the league’s defensive standard.
But it wasn’t just on that end: he also made his mark as an offensive threat, highlighted by a 51-point outburst against the Los Angeles D-Fenders. But it wasn’t just on that end: he also made his mark as an offensive threat, highlighted by a 51-point outburst against the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
The next stop was the Milwaukee Bucks, who signed Payton to a two-way deal in October 2017. He got into a handful of NBA games, but the stint ended rather quickly — he was waived on December 13.
“The Young Glove” didn’t take long to bounce back, signing another two-way contract — this time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Payton split his time between the NBA club and the South Bay Lakers, but he saved his loudest statement for the season finale, posting career highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds against the crosstown Los Angeles Clippers.
Fun fact: Payton was the last Lakers player to wear No. 23 before LeBron James.
Payton continued to bounce between the NBA and the G League before landing with the Golden State Warriors in 2021. That’s where he enjoyed his first true breakout season, playing a key role in the Warriors’ 2022 championship run, starting two games in the Western Conference Finals against the Memphis Grizzlies and recording 15 points, five rebounds and three steals in a Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
After a six-month stint with the Portland Trail Blazers — who signed him to a three-year, $28 million deal in the 2022 offseason — Payton was traded back to the Warriors in February 2023.
He never really carved out a definitive starter role, as he’s been inconsistent over the past three seasons. He did make 11 starts in 2024–25, but those opportunities largely came because of injuries.
His role has been limited this season, averaging just 5.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 50 games, with his best outing coming on Nov. 30, when he posted 19 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Payton is providing a recent spark amid injury issues
However, over the last four games, Payton’s playing time has ticked up with the Warriors who are dealing with a handful of injuries, and he has taken advantage of the opportunity.
He’s averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 18.8 minutes per game. His ability to screen and dive, cut to the basket, and knock down open threes — along with his perimeter defense — has helped the Warriors weather the storm.
With some of the guards struggling for consistency, Payton could benefit and steal minutes here and there, especially as the rotation tightens heading into playoff time.
On Wednesday night, he finished the first half with 10 points and five assists as the Warriors went into the break up 67–63 — arguably their best offensive half of the season without Curry and Butler.
Yet, despite his productive opening half, he was on the floor for only two minutes after halftime — even as guards Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer were basically non-factors.
Podziemski played 20 minutes in the second half, scoring four points on 1-of-6 shooting while adding four rebounds and two assists; he was a -23 in that span. Spencer, who’s been great over the last week, didn’t have it either, logging 12 second-half minutes and tallying just five points and two assists.
It was an intriguing decision from Steve Kerr, especially with Golden State blowing a 16-point third-quarter lead and getting shut down in the fourth, losing 126–113 in its final game before the All-Star break.
With both Steph Curry and Kristaps Porzingis expected to return after the All-Star break, Kerr will have to rethink his rotation. The recent emergence of Spencer and Gui Santos has only made that job trickier. Whether Payton earns a steady spot in the rotation remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: when he’s on the floor, he makes a difference.