Over his six NBA seasons with the Warriors, Gary Payton II has become a beloved glue guy.

It wasn’t always easy for Payton II, who bounced around various G League teams early in his career, but he has built a reputation as one of the best defenders in the NBA. Although Warriors fans likely can’t imagine a world without him, Payton II did tell The Athletic’s Nick Friedell in an exclusive interview that there is one team he’d request a trade to, if possible.

The team in question is the Seattle SuperSonics, which technically isn’t around anymore but is a franchise many hope will return if the NBA expands. In the crowd of hopefuls is Payton II, who told Friedell that he’d ask for a trade if Seattle did end up having a team again.

“Request a trade to Seattle,” Payton II told Friedell. “Probably.”

Gary Payton Sr., the father of the Warriors guard, spent the first 13 years of his illustrious NBA career with the Sonics. The elder Payton holds Seattle’s franchise record for assists and steals, earning nine All-Star nods, and led the Sonics to an NBA Finals appearance.

The younger Payton confirmed that he is happy in Golden State, but admitted he wouldn’t be able to pass up the opportunity to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Respectfully. I love it here so much,” Payton II told Friedell. “But if we do (see the NBA expand to Seattle) when I’m still here, I definitely want to go back and play there.”

When asked if he and his father had discussed the possibility, Payton II revealed they hadn’t discussed him playing in Seattle — but he thinks his dad knows he’d love to play for his former squad.

“No, but he knows that if they do, I would want to go for sure,” Payton II told Friedell. “Absolutely.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver hasn’t confirmed a timeline for potential league expansion, but he did tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps last year that a decision on the matter was expected sometime in 2026.

“I think now we’re in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them, and then sometime in 2026 we’ll make a determination,” Silver said.

Payton II is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 NBA season, but it’s hard to picture the fan favorite not remaining with the Warriors.

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