As the Golden State Warriors have sat stagnant this offseason, the unfortunate reality has been that two fan-favorite veterans, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II, will not return to the team.

While Looney has signed with the New Orleans Pelicans, Payton remains a free agent, and, by courting other veteran guards, the Warriors have shown that they believe there to be better options on the market than Payton.

Although Payton was undeniably a winning player through his two stints with Golden State, the team must now cut costs wherever it can in order to build depth around their veteran core, and Payton is unfortunately a casualty of this reality.

Gary Payton II is not the best option on the market for the Warriors

Payton, last season, was an integral piece of one of the best defensive fronts in the league. Through 62 games with the Warriors, he averaged 6.5 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists in just 15 minutes per game.

Yet, as free agency approached, Golden State knew they needed to add a more dependable ball-handler and shooter in their backcourt in order to offset some of the inconsistencies presented by Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield.

While Payton has a somewhat viable perimeter shot and is extremely capable of making winning plays, the Warriors have gravitated so far this offseason to options such as De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry, both of whom would likely come in on deals similar to what Payton will sign.

Last season, Payton earned roughly $8 million with Golden State, and, although there has surprisingly been little interest on the market for him, he will likely land somewhere on a veteran minimum contract before the end of the offseason.

Although Melton could receive a mid-level exception somewhere, it is likely that him or Curry would cost around the same as Payton, if not a little less.

Therefore, the Warriors have made their stance on Payton crystal clear by allowing him to walk in free agency, thereby signaling that, in addition to their cost-cutting efforts, the team wishes to bring in a different skill-set in their back-court.

In his last full season, Melton averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists, proving that he can be a more reliable offensive contributor if his injury history does not prove insurmountable.

Curry, moreover, has been a reliable presence in the NBA for over a decade and, in addition to posting similar stats to Payton last season, shot an absurd 45.6% from 3-point range on a healthy 2.7 attempts per game.

Therefore, although it will be sad to see Payton go, Golden State has made clear that they need more offensive upside in their backcourt, guaranteeing Payton’s departure.