Report: Lakers could sign son of 9-time NBA All-Star

The Los Angeles Lakers already have the son of LeBron James on their roster, and now they could also be adding the son of Gary Payton.

NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers could acquire 9x All Star to form BIG  3 with Luka Doncic and LeBron James | NBA News - Times of India

Free agent guard Gary Payton II is “very much” on the Lakers’ radar, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported on Thursday. Irwin notes that Payton II recently signed with agent Bill Duffy, who also represents Lakers star Luka Doncic (as well as Lakers centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes).

Payton II, 32, remains an unrestricted free agent after averaging 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game off the bench for the Golden State Warriors last season.

He is not expected to return to the Warriors this offseason and would make sense for the Lakers as a very versatile perimeter defender amid the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith to a West rival in free agency this offseason.

The family ties are also there for Payton II. His father, the nine-time NBA All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year, is a former Laker.

The elder Payton played for the team in the 2003-04 season, making it to the NBA Finals with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Karl Malone but losing in five games to the Detroit Pistons.

On top of that, Payton II himself had a brief stint with the Lakers early on in his NBA career.

He was on a two-way contract with the Lakers in 2018, shuttling back and forth between the NBA roster and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers (also returning for a second stint with South Bay in 2019).

Though he won a championship with the Warriors in 2022, there is also a strong argument against signing Payton, who has limited upside and could take away minutes from younger players that the Lakers want to develop.

If they do decide to bring in “The Mitten” though, the Lakers would have three sons of former NBA stars on their roster (along with Bronny James and the son of a Hall of Famer that the Lakers just signed last month).

Related Posts

Warriors may have missed out on the steal of the draft with laughable trade

As the Golden State Warriors headed into the 2025 NBA Draft, it was clear that their intention was to grab a player that could possibly make some sort of rotati

Warriors gifted ideal Gary Payton II replacement thanks to NBA bottom-feeder

The Golden State Warriors are yet to make a single move in free agency, but they may have been gifted another worthy signing this week thanks to one of the wors

Update: Lakers Player Darius Bazley Helped Off The Court On A Wheelchair After Scary Fall Against Celtics

Darius Bazley was taken off the court on a wheelchair after a spin move went wrong during an NBA Summer League game between the Lakers and Celtics….

NBA Summer League takeaways: Warriors rookies suffocated by Raptors

Warriors vs. Raptors NBA Summer League 2025: Golden State struggles with turnovers in Raptors win

BREAKING: Lakers trade proposal lands Marcus Smart in Wizards deal

Marcus Smart has been identified as a potential trade target for the Lakers. This is the package they must offer the Wizards. The 2025 edition of the…

Trail Blazers crush Warriors’ free agency desires with storybook reunion

After already missing out on Bradley Beal in his decision to join the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors have now lost the chance of acquirin