The Golden State Warriors, throughout the course of this offseason, have seemed poised to bring in multiple veteran guards that could fit rather quickly into head coach Steve Kerr’s system.

Yet, perhaps the most important piece this offseason, Gary Payton II, has gone relatively unnoticed as one of the potential signees for Golden State, and, if he does return to The Bay, his skill-set will be absolutely vital to keeping the bench unit in sync.

If organizations learned anything from last year’s NBA Finals, it’s that depth wins championships, and, as the Warriors attempt to build some of their own, Payton must take on his ultimate role as an intense, hustling defensive phenom.

Gary Payton II must enter his final form if he returns to the Warriors this offseason

Payton, last season with Golden State, averaged 6.5 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists on just 15 minutes per night largely off the bench. As a veteran with both wide experience across the league and lengthy experience with the Warriors, he has slowly but surely earned the trust of Kerr across his two stints with the team.

Yet, as the offseason began, it appeared as though Payton was ready to walk in free agency. Nevertheless, Payton’s name has almost always been included among the guards that Golden State has been consistently linked to this offseason.

While a number of these guards, including Malcolm Brogdon and Seth Curry, would present a different skill-set than Payton, Payton’s familiarity with the system and penchant to make winning plays has to make him an attractive target on a veteran minimum for the front office.

If Payton were to return, however, his role would become increasingly important for the team. With a probably bench unit of Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and maybe even Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors have the potential to be seriously dangerous on that front.

Yet, many of these player’s skill-sets are scattered and disjointed with one another, and they would desperately need a strong defender and an intense, smart ball-handler to help the unit reach their fast-paced, high-flying potential.

While someone like Brogdon, who averaged 4.1 assists last season, might seem like the ideal fit, Payton’s pure energy and schematic fit make him the absolutely perfect player to slot into this role for the Warriors.

Therefore, if Payton does return to The Bay, he could be in line for the greatest challenge of his career to this point: keeping the bench unit cohesive and helping to propel Golden State back into contention.