Offensive Game
Efficient scorer who excels in transition and as a spot-up threat. Exceptional two-point conversion rate — rarely takes a bad shot and finishes at elite percentages around the basket.
Career Journey
Milwaukee Bucks
2016-2017
Washington Wizards
2017-2018
Golden State Warriors
2018-2020
Portland Trail Blazers
2020-2021
Golden State Warriors
2021-2023
Portland Trail Blazers
2023-2024
Golden State Warriors
2024-present
2022 NBA champion with Golden State
A key defensive reserve on the title team; scored 15 in Game 5 of the Finals and anchored perimeter defense in the clincher.
Undrafted after a decorated college career
Went undrafted in 2016 despite being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year at Oregon State, following his father to the same school.
Re-signed with the Warriors (2025)
Returned to Golden State on a new deal, continuing his role as a defensive spark off the bench.
Player Agent
2024-25 season · View contract
| Season | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 73 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 58.3% | 29.1% |
The son of a Hall of Fame defender, Payton spent years proving he belonged before the label stuck. Undrafted in 2016 out of Oregon State — where, like his father, he was a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year — he bounced through the G League and a string of short contracts before Golden State turned him into a real rotation piece. His breakthrough came on the 2022 championship team, where his perimeter defense, cutting and lob-finishing made him a plus even at low usage. He earns the 'Young Glove' nickname honestly: he navigates screens, switches across positions and disrupts passing lanes, and his offense works precisely because it asks for nothing it can't deliver — dunks, put-backs and timely cuts rather than shot creation.
Offensive Game
Efficient scorer who excels in transition and as a spot-up threat. Exceptional two-point conversion rate — rarely takes a bad shot and finishes at elite percentages around the basket.
Defensive Game
Elite defensive specialist and one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. Generates steals at a top-tier rate with quickness, anticipation, and willingness to take charges. All-Defensive Team caliber.
Intangibles
Extremely high basketball IQ bred from elite family lineage and years of professional persistence. His anticipation of passing lanes and reading ball-handlers' weaknesses is elite-level.
Personal Life & Family
Status
Married
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Community programs in Oakland connecting to his father's legacy
Support for youth sports in the Pacific Northwest
Did You Know?
His father Gary Payton is considered one of the five greatest defensive players in NBA history — a Hall of Famer who earned the nickname 'The Glove' for his suffocating man-to-man coverage and won Defensive Player of the Year in 1996.
Payton II went undrafted in 2016 and spent years bouncing through the G League and short contracts before emerging as one of the best defensive guards in the NBA — one of the most remarkable late-bloomer stories in recent basketball history.
His 2021-22 shooting efficiency was remarkable: 69.5% on two-point attempts, one of the highest marks in the entire NBA, reflecting his philosophy of only attempting shots he can genuinely convert.
He has played for multiple NBA franchises across his career, but has always found his ceiling in Golden State's championship-caliber culture where defensive excellence is celebrated.
Career Honors
NBA Champion (2022)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2022)
Golden State Warriors · Official
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
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