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Golden State Warriors Player Makes Massive Contract Decision
The NBA Finals have concluded, meaning the offseason is officially underway. For the Golden State Warriors, there are some big decisions that need to be made this summer, some of which are out of their control. The first of these has been made, as it was announced by Kendra Andrews of ESPN that versatile guard Gary Payton II had exercised his player option for next season and will return to the Warriors.
This always seemed to be the likeliest outcome, because while Payton has been productive when healthy, he has been unable to stay on the court. Playing just 44 games last season, Payton was in and out of the lineup all year. This came after he played just seven games following his trade back to Golden State in 2023, as he was never able to fully recover from the injury issues he had to start the year while in Portland.
A very unique player, Payton is a great defender with a lot of athleticism. Somewhat limited offensively, Payton is not a great shooter, but has shown the ability to knock down open shots at times. Due to his athleticism, Payton can often thrive in different spots offensively, which is valuable when the Warriors play small.
As they await the outcome of Klay Thompson's free agency, Golden State will be glad to have Payton back, but certainly hope he can stay on the court much more frequently than he has the last two seasons.
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JOEY LINN
Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.