Gary Payton II

Payton played two seasons at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah. He averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game as a freshman (2012–13) and led the Bruins to a 29–5 overall record and 14–1 mark in the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC), where they won the Region 18 Championship and outright SWAC title in 2013. Payton was named First Team All-SWAC and made Region 18 All-Tournament Team as a freshman. In his sophomore year, he averaged 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, earning him Second Team NJCAA Division I All-American honors, and was voted 2014 Region 18 Co-Player of the Year and Region 18 Tournament Most Valuable Player. The Bruins finished with a 27–7 overall record and won their second consecutive Region 18 Championship.[2]

Payton with Oregon State in 2015

During Payton's sophomore season at Salt Lake CC he signed a letter of intent to play for his father's alma mater Oregon State under coach Craig Robinson.[8] Robinson was fired before the start of the 2014–15 basketball season and was replaced by University of Montana head coach Wayne Tinkle.[9][10] Having lost their top five scorers from the previous season, Pac-12 coaches picked Oregon State to finish 12th in the 2014–15 season.[11] Instead, the up-tempo Beavers finished 7th with a 4–1 record against the conference's top three teams, Arizona, Oregon and Utah. In their game against Grambling State, Payton recorded 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming only the second Beaver ever with a triple-double in a game. His father, Hall of Famer Gary Payton, is the other Beaver with a triple-double when he had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists against the University of Portland in 1988.[12] Following a home sweep of the Los Angeles schools Payton was named the January 26, 2015 Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week.[13] During his first season at Oregon State Payton led his team in multiple categories: scoring, rebounds, and steals.[14] On March 9, 2015, Pac-12 coaches voted Payton to the All-Pac-12 First Team, All-Pac-12 Defensive Team and named him the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.[15]

On February 1, 2016, he was named one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award for top point guard of the year.[16] He was named to the 35-man mid-season watchlist for the Naismith Player of the Year on February 11.[17]

After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Payton II joined the Houston Rockets for the 2016 NBA Summer League. On September 23, 2016, he signed with the Rockets,[18] but was later waived on October 24 after appearing in six preseason games.[19] On October 31, 2016, he was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Rockets.[20] On December 3, 2016, he scored 51 points on 20-of-29 shooting to go with 11 rebounds in a 140–125 win over the Los Angeles D-Fenders.[21]

On April 2, 2017, Payton II signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.[22] He made his debut for the Bucks that night, scoring five points in nine minutes off the bench in a 109–105 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[23] Payton II was waived on October 14 as one of the team's final 2017–18 preseason roster cuts.[24] On October 17, 2017, Payton II was given a two-way contract with the Bucks via their NBA G League affiliate the Wisconsin Herd, meaning he would officially return to Milwaukee for the start of the season.[25] Payton II would have his first start in the NBA on November 22, 2017, against the Phoenix Suns, playing as the starting small forward for the Bucks that night due to team injuries. While he would end the night early due to an injury of his own, the Bucks would win that night in overtime. On December 13, Payton II was waived from the Bucks in favor of Sean Kilpatrick.

On January 15, 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Payton II to a two-way contract.[26] Throughout the rest of the season, he split his playing time between the Los Angeles Lakers and their NBA G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. On the final game of the season, Payton scored a career-high 25 points and also posted a career-high 12 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was the last Laker to wear number #23 before LeBron James.

On September 4, 2018, Payton signed a training camp contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.[27] On October 13, 2018, Payton was waived by the Trail Blazers.[28]

On December 12, 2018, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League announced via Twitter that they had re-acquired Payton.[29]

On January 21, 2019, Payton signed with the Washington Wizards on a 10-day contract,[30] and Payton made his debut for the Wizards on January 22 in a 101–87 win over the Detroit Pistons,[31] but was not offered a second 10-day contract.[32]

On February 2, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced that they had reacquired Payton.[33]

On October 24, 2019, the Canton Charge acquired the returning right from Rio Grande Valley Vipers for Payton in exchange for Jaron Blossomgame.[34] Two days later on October 26, 2019, Payton was traded to the South Bay Lakers for Sheldon Mac and Robert Heyer.[35] Two days later on October 28, 2019, Payton was added to the training camp roster of the South Bay Lakers.[36] On November 4, 2019, Payton was included in the opening night roster of the South Bay Lakers.[37]

On December 23, 2019, Payton signed with the Washington Wizards.[38] On July 9, 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19.[39]

On January 11, 2021, Payton was selected 15th overall by the Raptors 905 in the first 2021 NBA G League draft,[40] where he averaged 10.8 points on 55.5 percent shooting from the field, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.54 steals in 21.9 minutes per game.[41] At the end of the shortened single-site season in Orlando, he was named the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year.[42]

On April 8, 2021, Payton signed a 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors.[43] On April 19, he signed a second 10-day contract[41] and on May 16, he was signed for the rest of the season and the next season.[44]

Payton was waived shortly before the start of the 2021–22 NBA season,[45] but was re-signed by the Warriors on October 19 after he cleared waivers.[46] Payton had a breakout season and started the first two games of the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies. In Game 2, he fractured his left elbow when he went up for a fast-break layup but fell hard after the Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks chased him down and hit him in the head while he was in the air.[47]

In Game 5 of the Finals, Payton posted 15 points, five rebounds and three steals in a 104–94 win over the Boston Celtics.[48][49][50] The Warriors went on to win Game 6, where Payton played a major defensive role, and Payton won his first NBA championship. He and his father became the fifth father-son duo to win an NBA title, with one of the other pairs including Payton's teammate Klay Thompson and his father, Mychal.[51]

On July 6, 2022, Payton signed a three-year, $28 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.[52][53] He underwent offseason core muscle surgery, which sidelined him for months. On January 2, 2023, Payton made his Blazers debut, putting up seven points, four assists, two rebounds, and one steal in a 135–106 win over the Detroit Pistons.[54]

On February 9, 2023, Payton was traded back to the Golden State Warriors in a four-team trade involving the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, sending Kevin Knox II to Portland, James Wiseman to Detroit and Saddiq Bey to Atlanta and made his debut on March 26, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. [55] [56]