Warriors' Gary Payton: Officially playing Wednesday
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Payton (calf) is active for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
Payton will maintain his perfect attendance on the season despite dealing with the right calf tightness earlier Wednesday. He has become the seventh guard in Golden State's rotation with the emergence of Lindy Waters, although Payton's defense still earns him bench minutes on a nightly basis.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Iffy for Wednesday
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Payton is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Hawks due to right calf tightness.
Payton was a very late addition to the injury report which doesn't bode well for his status. If the veteran defensive specialist is unable to suit up, Brandin Podziemski and Lindy Waters would be candidates to see increased minutes.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Heading back to bench Sunday
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Payton will come off the bench during Sunday's game against the Thunder, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Payton started Friday's contest against the Cavaliers, but he will return to a bench role Sunday. Payton has averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 13.8 minutes per contest over his last four appearances.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Starting Friday
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Payton will start at shooting guard in Friday's matchup with the Cavaliers,
Payton will replace Moses Moody in the starting lineup, as head coach Steve Kerr will look to add some more defense to the starting unit versus the Cavaliers' strong backcourt. Payton tallied six points, three rebounds and three steals across 16 minutes in his only other start this season.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Won't start Wednesday
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Payton won't start Wednesday's game against the Celtics.
On Monday, coach Steve Kerr gave Payton his first start since 2022-23 when he was a member of the Trail Blazers. However, that was likely just so the defensive-minded guard could annoy ex-Warriors guard Jordan Poole to begin the matchup versus Washington. Moses Moody moves back into the starting lineup, but the Warriors have a deep rotation, even with Brandin Podziemski (illness) sidelined.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Plays 16 minutes as starter
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Payton finished with six points (3-3 FG), three rebounds and three assists across 16 minutes during Monday's 125-112 win over the Wizards.
Payton made his first start since 2022-23 when he was a member of the Trail Blazers, but he played only 15 minutes. Buddy Hield (28), Jonathan Kuminga (25) and Kyle Anderson (16) all played more minutes off the bench. Payton is a defensive-minded guard, and he was likely inserted into the starting lineup only to give ex-Warriors guard Jordan Poole fits to begin Monday's game.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Making first start of season
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Payton will start Monday's game against the Wizards, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.
With Stephen Curry (ankle) back in action, the Warriors will start Curry, Payton, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. It's Payton's first start since 2022-23 when he was a member of the Trail Blazers.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Starting vs. Sacramento
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Payton is in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Kings, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.
The Warriors are fielding a different starting unit for the third consecutive contest, and it's clear head coach Steve Karr wants to see what's working and what isn't with the beginning of the regular season just around the corner. Payton will start at small forward, flanked by Moses Moody, Stephen Curry, Kyle Anderson and Draymond Green.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Picks up player option
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Payton exercised his $9.1 million player option for the 2024-25 season Wednesday, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.
By exercising his player option, Payton will be on the books for the upcoming season and will now be able to negotiate a possible contract extension with the Warriors. Payton has had some tough luck with injuries in recent seasons, but he's invaluable to the Warriors for his perimeter defense. In 44 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, Payton averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 15.5 minutes per contest while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Out for Play-In Tournament
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Payton (calf) has been ruled out for the Play-In Tournament, which starts Tuesday in Sacramento, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.
If the Warriors beat the Kings on Tuesday, they'd play the loser of a Pelicans-Lakers matchup, but Payton won't be able to play in that game if Golden State advances. The defensive-minded guard missed the final three regular-season contests due to a left calf strain, and his missing bench minutes will likely be absorbed by Brandin Podziemski, Chris Paul and maybe Moses Moody.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Won't play Sunday
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Payton (calf) is out for Sunday's game against the Jazz.
Payton will end the regular season on the sidelines, but he hasn't been ruled out for the Play-In Tournament yet. Payton averaged just 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game across 44 bench outings in 2023-24, so he shouldn't carry a lot of fantasy upside when he's available once again.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Won't suit up Friday
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Payton (calf) will not play Friday against the Pelicans, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.
No surprise here, as Payton was previously deemed doubtful. Coach Steve Kerr implied that the Warriors are simply being cautious on the second leg of this back-to-back set.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Unlikely to play Friday
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Payton (calf) is doubtful for Friday's game against New Orleans.
Payton continues to deal with left calf tightness and will likely be forced to miss a second consecutive game Friday. Assuming he's sidelined, his final chance to suit up during the regular season will be Sunday against the Jazz.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Ruled out for Thursday
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Payton (calf) won't play Thursday against the Trail Blazers, Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Payton is considered day-to-day with left calf tightness. It's possible the defensive specialist could return for the second leg of the Warriors' back-to-back set Friday against the Pelicans.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Available to face Los Angeles
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Payton (ankle) is available to face the Lakers on Tuesday.
Payton was listed as probable Tuesday, so his availability here isn't entirely surprising. However, he is not expected to carry much fantasy upside due to his bench role.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Probable vs. LAL
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Payton (ankle) is probable for Tuesday's game against the Lakers.
Payton will likely continue to play through a left ankle impingement. He's appeared in 15 straight games, averaging 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals-plus-blocks in 15.6 minutes during that stretch.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Officially available vs. Utah
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Payton (ankle) is available for Sunday's game against the Jazz, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.
Payton was probable for Sunday's matchup, so his availability isn't particularly surprising. He could see more playing time than usual since Stephen Curry (rest) and Andrew Wiggins (ankle) have been ruled out.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Probable vs. Utah
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Payton is probable to face the Jazz on Sunday due to a left ankle impingement.
Payton could be one of the beneficiaries of the absence of Stephen Curry (rest) for Sunday's contest. Even if that's the case and he experiences an uptick in minutes, he should remain an option off the bench for Golden State.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Good to go Friday
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Payton (ankle) will play Friday against the Mavericks.
Payton will shed his questionable tag for the second leg of this back-to-back set. With Andrew Wiggins (ankle) joining Jonathan Kuminga (knee) on the sidelines, there could be more minutes available for Payton.
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Warriors' Gary Payton: Deemed questionable for Friday
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Payton (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the Mavericks.
Payton was probable for Thursday's game against the Rockets due to a sore left ankle and continues to deal with the issue before the second half of the back-to-back set. If he's available, he could see an uptick in playing time if Andrew Wiggins (ankle), who is also considered questionable, is ruled out.
