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14 hours ago
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Adam Silver and the association are only counting less than two years before NBA expansion happens. Obviously, there will be an expansion draft in order to fill the roster spots for the Las Vegas and Seattle teams. As early as a day after the league-wide move was announced, Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II was quick to pounce on the opportunity to join one of the teams. It's not hard to see that he chose the Seattle Supersonics over the other option.
Payton II and the Supersonics family legacy
There is a reason as to why the Warriors are getting a tough-minded two-way player who is a menace on defense in Payton II. His father was a big part of making the Supersonics a household name in the NBA. He also wants to make a name for himself in the place that his old man got to start out, via Brandon Robinson of Scoop B.
"I would probably request a trade immediately! Even though I love where I’m at, it’s about being able to throw on that Sonics jersey before my career is over. I really hope they end up getting that done so I can go hoop for the hometown one time," Payton II said.
Notably, the Warriors guard grew up in Seattle and got to meet great players when his dad played with the Supersonics. He got to see how close his father alongside Detlef Schrempf and Shawn Kemp were to bringing a title to the Emerald City back in 1996. More than that, his lens of the NBA was far more up close because he got to see Michael Jordan ravage the league, the rise of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty, and many more spectacles that an aspiring professional hooper could only dream of.
"A lot of Seattle days. I remember running around at practice, hanging out with George Karl, the coaching staff, and the players. Kevin Garnett used to come over for dinner every time he was in town. Allen Iverson and Vince Carter too. Just being a kid and being shocked by the superstars I had access to talk to. I have nothing but good memories of Seattle, from that 1996 Finals run with Michael Jordan all the way up until Dad got traded to Milwaukee for Ray Allen," he added.
NBA expansion talks will run through up until the first season that it hits in 2028-29. If there is one player that the fans in Seattle can root for, it is someone who has seen their great moments from the 1990s and would still be capable to contend when the team officially comes back.
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