Milwaukee Bucks offseason recap Part 3: Free agents that are still left
Gary Payton II
In my continued search for a point guard, I would look no further than familiar territory in Gary Payton II, who recently played for the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent.
Payton’s name may sound familiar. He is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton. Payton II also played for the Bucks a short while back in 2017 on a two-way contract. He actually made his NBA debut with the Bucks.
What seemed like an experiment is something the Bucks should try again, and an experiment it would be. The 6’3” point guard is a skilled young guard. He has bounced around the G-League before and since his debut and made noise. In his debut, he posted five points, three assists, and two rebounds in nine minutes. Thereafter, we saw similar performances in games. The Bucks waived Payton after only a few games. When Payton debuted for the Wizards, he posted 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and six steals.
My guess is that he was too green for the rebuilding Bucks team at that time, but my other guess is that they shouldn’t have waived him. Payton, as displayed in the G-League, can score and defend similar to what he did in his impressive NBA games.
If the Bucks are willing to take a chance and will look a little further down the NBA line, Gary Payton II is a gem. He is a great find, and the Wizards have seemed to understand that. The Wizards are in a bit of a misunderstanding also, though. With the backcourt already at work with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook ( previously John Wall ), and others, such as Ish Smith and Shabazz Napier, and at one point, Isaiah Thomas, Payton gets lost in the mix there.
This would be a great time for the Bucks to capitalize on Gary Payton II before the rest of the league gets ahold of him. It would be an experiment, and a long term, worthwhile experiment if the Bucks play their cards right. Payton II could be the Bucks future starting point guard, and a big part of the organization immediately if given the opportunity.