He entered the league undrafted, bounced through multiple organizations, spent time on two-way and 10-day contracts and was waived more than once. For years, being the son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton was probably the most recognizable part of his basketball identity.

Golden State changed that.

Payton eventually became a champion, a fan favorite and one of the NBA's most unusual role players. Now, at 33 years old, the Warriors have decided there is still a place for "The Mitten" in the Bay Area.

Payton has agreed to return to Golden State on a one-year contract worth approximately $3.9 million for the 2026-27 season. The deal is fully guaranteed and will make him an unrestricted free agent again next summer.

It isn't a massive contract and it isn't a long-term commitment.

But considering the road Payton traveled just to establish himself in the NBA, another season alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green represents something bigger.

Golden State has become his basketball home.

The Warriors Found What Everyone Else Was Missing

Payton's journey to this point makes his longevity remarkable.

After two seasons at Salt Lake Community College, he transferred to Oregon State, the same school where his father became a legend. Payton II developed his own identity there, becoming a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and leading the Beavers in scoring, rebounding and steals during his first season.

Still, nobody drafted him in 2016.

What followed was basketball survival.

Payton spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards. There were two-way contracts, G League stops, waivers and 10-day opportunities. Even after arriving in Golden State in 2021, nothing was guaranteed. The Warriors initially brought him in on consecutive 10-day contracts before eventually keeping him for the remainder of the season.

Then came the breakthrough.

During the 2021-22 season, Golden State figured out how to use Payton differently.

At 6-foot-2, he wasn't treated like a traditional point guard. The Warriors used his athleticism around the basket offensively, allowed him to cut behind defenses, screen for Curry and operate almost like a much larger player while still using his greatest weapon on the other end of the floor.

Defense.

Payton could pressure opposing guards, switch onto bigger players and create chaos at the point of attack.

It became a perfect fit.

The 2022 Championship Changed Everything

Payton became an important rotation player during Golden State's run to the 2022 NBA championship.

His defense, energy and athleticism gave Steve Kerr something different from the rest of the roster. He wasn't being asked to run the offense or score 20 points. His job was to impact winning possessions.

That role ultimately changed his career.

After years of fighting simply to remain in the league, Payton entered free agency as an NBA champion with legitimate market value.

Portland rewarded him with a three-year, $26.1 million contract in the summer of 2022.

For an undrafted player who had spent years bouncing around the league, it represented the financial payoff he had worked toward.

But his Portland chapter barely had time to begin.

Core-muscle surgery delayed his debut until January, and Payton appeared in only 15 games for the Trail Blazers. Then, in February 2023, Golden State made the unusual decision to bring him back only months after losing him.

The Warriors traded former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman in a four-team transaction that ultimately returned Payton to Golden State.

Even that reunion became complicated when his physical revealed that his core injury had not fully healed. Golden State could have backed out of the trade.

The Warriors went through with it anyway.

That decision said plenty about how highly the organization valued him.

Why Does Golden State Keep Bringing Him Back?

Because there aren't many players like Gary Payton II.

His statistics have never properly explained his value.

Payton enters 2026-27 with career averages of 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal across 343 regular-season games. Those aren't numbers that normally generate headlines.

But Payton isn't being paid to dominate a box score.

He can defend quick guards despite being strong enough to battle larger wings. Offensively, his athleticism allows Golden State to use him as a screener, cutter and occasional roll man despite being only 6-foot-2.

That becomes particularly useful next to Curry.

Payton doesn't need the basketball to contribute, which is extremely important when playing alongside one of the greatest offensive players ever. He can screen for Curry, dive toward the rim and force defenses into awkward decisions while doing much of the dirty work defensively on the other end.

That relationship remains valuable even as Payton enters his mid-30s.

Payton Is Coming Off One of His Best Seasons

There is also a simpler reason Golden State brought him back.

He played well.

Payton appeared in a career-high 73 games during the 2025-26 season, largely avoiding the injuries that had disrupted several previous years. He averaged career highs of 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds, along with 1.7 assists, while playing 15.6 minutes per game.

For a player whose availability had become a legitimate concern, playing 73 games may have been just as important as the statistical improvement.

Golden State knows exactly what it is getting.

There is no developmental projection involved. Payton understands Curry. He understands Draymond Green. He understands the Warriors' defensive concepts, movement offense and culture.

At $3.9 million for one season, the financial risk is minimal.

One More Run With the Warriors

The one-year contract also reflects where both Payton and Golden State currently stand.

Payton turns 34 in December. Golden State is still trying to maximize what remains of Curry's championship window while simultaneously beginning to transition toward a younger roster.

The Warriors used the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Yaxel Lendeborg while retaining veterans and continuing to build around Curry. Payton fits directly into the win-now portion of that equation.

He isn't being brought back to become a star.

He's being brought back because Golden State believes there will still be nights when it needs somebody to chase an elite guard around the floor, change the energy of a game, make a backdoor cut or turn a Curry pick-and-roll into an unexpected dunk.

Those moments have essentially become Payton's NBA identity.

A Career That Almost Never Happened

Perhaps that's what makes Payton's career worth appreciating.

Being Gary Payton's son created expectations, but it didn't guarantee him anything.

He wasn't drafted.

He wasn't immediately handed a roster spot because of his name.

He bounced between Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Washington, Portland and Golden State, survived the G League, played on two-way contracts and signed 10-day deals. He was waived and had to earn his way back.

His career has now lasted a decade.

He's an NBA champion.

He earned a $26 million contract.

He's played more than 340 NBA games.

And most importantly, he eventually created an identity completely separate from his father's.

Gary Payton was "The Glove," one of the greatest defensive guards in basketball history.

Gary Payton II became "The Mitten," an undersized defensive specialist who somehow plays bigger than his height, screens like a forward, finishes like a wing and found the perfect basketball ecosystem alongside Curry and Green.

That's why this latest Warriors contract feels appropriate.

Payton tried leaving once.

Golden State traded to get him back.

Since then, the relationship has continued because both sides understand exactly what the other provides.

The new deal only guarantees one more season, and at 33 there is no certainty about how many seasons remain after that.

But after everything Gary Payton II went through simply to establish an NBA career, there is something fitting about where he finds himself entering 2026-27.

Back with the Warriors. Back beside Curry and Green. And still finding ways to make himself valuable in a league that once couldn't find a permanent place for him.