https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7081942/2026/03/06/gary-payton-sonics-seattle-nba-expansion/

Gary Payton II doesn’t even let the question finish before he starts giving his answer.

The Golden State Warriors guard is the son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton, who played 12 ¹⁄₂ seasons for the Seattle SuperSonics before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and became one of the most respected guards in NBA history. Payton II, now a trusted veteran on the Warriors’ 2022 title team, grew up in Seattle and spent his childhood summers in Oakland.

So as speculation swirls about NBA expansion and bringing the Sonics back to Seattle, Payton II’s answer about bringing a team back to his second home was immediate.

“Request a trade to Seattle,” Payton II recently told The Athletic. “Probably.”

He (probably) isn’t kidding. The love for Seattle and the Sonics is still in his heart.

“Respectfully. I love it here so much. But if we do (have a Seattle team) when I’m still here, I definitely want to go back and play there,” he added.

OccasionalGoodTakes | Supersonics

841 | 9 hours ago

I hope so too Gary

dearth_karmic | Warriors

230 | 8 hours ago

Kind of insane not to have a team in Seattle.

I_Need_A_Mehdic | Cavaliers

115 | 8 hours ago

Idk, a team in Seattle doesn’t really make a lot of sense.

scrambled_cable | Warriors

69 | 8 hours ago

I think they’re still booing to this day

Acrobatic-Landscape9 | Warriors

31 | 5 hours ago

That was goddamn three minutes of straight, consistent, unwavering booing. My god, it didn’t let up until the video ended.

TheGeeMan360 | Supersonics

8 | 4 hours ago

I was there that night, it went on for 10 minutes. That video cuts it short and doesn’t do it justice, you couldn’t hear a fucking word of this promo lol

big_flipp | Suns

29 | 7 hours ago

I’ll always be a sucker for some cheap heat or a cheap pop

phluidity | Celtics

17 | 7 hours ago

There’s cheap heat and there’s “are we getting out of the arena alive?”

InevitableAd2436

15 | 7 hours ago

That promo pissed me off so bad I almost started booing through my phone.

TheAgmis | Thunder

7 | 7 hours ago

WHO WANTS TO GET NUCLEAR HEAT WITH ELIAS?!

StarsCanScream | Cavaliers

7 | 5 hours ago

I knew exactly what this video was before clicking it.

The uncut one is even longer. I believe I remember reading they had to cut the promo short because of how long the boos went on for.

bananasmash14 | Lakers

4 | 4 hours ago

Holy shit this is hilarious, how have I not seen this before lol

S21500003 | Bucks

3 | 4 hours ago

Major props to them keeping a straight face. I’d be wearing the biggest shit eating grin if I ever said something to rile up a crowd and was that successful.

lava172 | Suns

32 | 8 hours ago

Gotta get those huge markets like Memphis and New Orleans

big_flipp | Suns

3 | 7 hours ago

I mean at least Nola is a desirable destination.

qj1135 | Knicks

24 | 6 hours ago

i still think the branding of the pelicans royally fucked up the team. idc about it being a state bird, pelicans is a terrible name for a NOLA team lmao

big_flipp | Suns

18 | 6 hours ago

Yeah. Really sucks that Utah kept the Jazz name.

qj1135 | Knicks

12 | 6 hours ago

The New Orleans Jazz would be one of the most fitting perfect names.

d01100100 | Cavaliers

2 | 4 hours ago

The city itself has so many better nicknames…

The Big Easy
The Crescent City
The Birthplace of Jazz (okay this one hurts in context)

samurairocketshark | Suns

3 | 3 hours ago

Doesn’t even roll off the tongue either, I don’t know who thought Pelicans would be a home run

13143 | Celtics

1 | 4 hours ago

Is it? Because FAs aren’t exactly lining up to go there.

Own_Elk_543

5 | 4 hours ago

It’s not, New Orleans is cool for a long weekend but a bottom tier nba city to live in. I say this as someone who goes to New Orleans multiple times a year.

ComradeFrunze | Pelicans

1 | 4 hours ago

That’s because the organization is awful

biglyorbigleague | Lakers

0 | 7 hours ago

I know, right? That would be like not having an NFL team in Los Angeles.

Moody_GenX | Warriors

8 | 8 hours ago

Me too. I miss those teams in the 90s.

ArmadilloForsaken458 | Supersonics

1 | 3 hours ago

What’s Hemp jr doing

OccasionalGoodTakes | Supersonics

1 | 2 hours ago

That typo is describing exactly what he is doing

udontknowball31 | Thunder

341 | 9 hours ago

That sounds nice but he is already 33 years old, he’ll be lucky if the sonics are back within 5 years. Maybe he can be an assistant coach tho

SheepTag1 | Raptors

185 | 9 hours ago

He’s 33??? Dam TIL

RedtheGamer100 | Hornets

122 | 9 hours ago

His daddy didn’t have the pull to get him drafted in the second round 😂😂😂

Basic-Collection5416 | Pistons

120 | 9 hours ago

His dad didn’t even believe he’d play professionally, lol.

RedtheGamer100 | Hornets

27 | 9 hours ago

He actually said that?

Small_Discipline_757 | Warriors

51 | 8 hours ago

Gp2 has a cool story.

hidey_ho_nedflanders | Warriors

75 | 8 hours ago

He bounced around between the G-League and finding an NBA team for most of his career and it wasn’t until 2021 he established himself with the Warriors.

Gerald_the_sealion | 76ers

2 | 8 hours ago

TIL he’s older than Drummond

FatMamaJuJu | Charlotte Bobcats

3 | 4 hours ago

Makes sense. Drummond was drafted in 2012 as a one and done. GP2 went undrafted in 2016 after a full college career

th0rbj03rn | Germany

3 | 3 hours ago

I mean Drummond is the poster boy for being younger than most people think, while GP2 only found a place in the league in his late 20’s.

MahomesMccaffrey | Slovenia

-1 | 9 hours ago

his dad is near 60.

FatMamaJuJu | Charlotte Bobcats

1 | 4 hours ago

Yeah Gary had him when he was 24ish

chichigetthayay0

37 | 9 hours ago

If indeed the owners are voting this month as expected…if approved it certainly won’t take 5 years for expansion. We’d probably be looking at 27-28.

hunteddwumpus | Pistons

28 | 8 hours ago

Certainly could be but I feel like expansion has been just around the corner for like 6-7 years now with still nothing actually concrete

chichigetthayay0

28 | 8 hours ago

The Lakers selling for \(10B reset the market. Expansion teams will probably cost \)5B+ each. Two teams = about \(10B in fees, pays roughly \)333M to every current owner while only adding two teams to the revenue pool…and the new TV deal just kicked in.

The financial incentive for expansion has never been stronger, which is why the buzz is as high as it’s ever been.

Takamurarules | Hornets

7 | 5 hours ago

Yeah and everyone is trying to get in on the Vegas market.

You put a team in Seattle and one in Vegas, then move either the Grizzlies or the Pelicans to the East.

Dabeastfeast11 | Pistons

2 | 4 hours ago

Feel like the Timberwolves have a stronger case of going east than the pelicans or Grizzlies

Takamurarules | Hornets

1 | 4 hours ago

How so? I think Ant vs The West is way more marketable right now than two rebuilders.

Dabeastfeast11 | Pistons

2 | 4 hours ago

Thinking franchise wise. As a location it makes more sense for Minnesota to be in the east. Also more star power going east to have more parity between the east and west is better for the league.

Takamurarules | Hornets

0 | 4 hours ago

Dude, the Grizzlies are literally in Tennessee—way further east than Minnesota. So is New Orleans. But parity isn’t what the league wants, it’s the headlines.

Dabeastfeast11 | Pistons

1 | 3 hours ago

Plenty of headlines in the east. Ant vs cade/tatum/dmitch or Ant in finals vs whoever comes out the west. But again I seriously doubt the league is considering movement based solely on a player that may or may not be with a franchise in 10 years.

Immediate-Tap-4344

2 | 3 hours ago

New Orleans and Memphis are closer to the Texas teams and each other. Minnesota is close to nobody else in the West

chichigetthayay0

1 | 3 hours ago

Everyone reporting on it has said Minnesota will be the most likely team moved East because it makes the most sense logistically. Minnesota is closer to the Central Division teams in the East than it is to the next closest Western Conference team (OKC). Both Memphis and New Orleans are also closer to other West teams (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio) than Minny is to OKC.

samurairocketshark | Suns

1 | 3 hours ago

Nick Collison role

DJBliskOne | Lakers

-6 | 7 hours ago

And he sucksn

KorgG29 | Bucks

191 | 9 hours ago

He won’t have to request a trade, he’s not getting protected top 8

Thickencreamy

44 | 9 hours ago

Correct. He might be released by then.

Zmoney743

10 | 4 hours ago

Exactly, but he’s not getting picked by them either so then he would be back with his original team, therefore meaning he would need to request a trade.

legend023 | Pelicans

9 | 4 hours ago

I’d think Seattle would probably just pick him in the final round if they didn’t take any golden state guys (which I’m sure they wouldn’t lmao)

HenrikCrown | Pelicans

121 | 9 hours ago

GP2 has to be one of the more successful sons of a former NBA star

He’s no statline god, but quietly has an NBA title and carved out a niche role in the league (he’s basically a small PF like Josh Hart)

healthykd

94 | 8 hours ago

he was really fucking good in 2022

MySilverBurrito | Heat

37 | 7 hours ago

Insanely good. The man had chemistry with the team and fit like a glove (pun intended).

People saw him as a defending highflyer, but its the everything else that he did right that went unseen. Off-ball screens, backdoor cuts, repositioning, and had a serviceable 3pt shot.

He even had the ‘stand in the corner middie, between the legs drop off to Curry, set the screen, and Curry hits the corner 3’ thing perfectly lmao.

Youngandidiotic | Warriors

18 | 6 hours ago

Yeah, he played really well with Curry and that season he had a respectable 3pt shot. I remember in one of the 2ks he was listed as a PG|C lol

TylerDurdensAlterEgo

1 | 3 hours ago

He got 3 all-defensive votes even he only played like 15 minutes a game. The man was a menace 1-5

Also shot 61/36/75

fla16unt

1 | 2 hours ago

The Biggest Little Center in the NBA.

forsuredudelol | Knicks

6 | 8 hours ago

Eh, theres probably a lot of them that are better than GP2 imo.

Dell curry idk if he was a “star” but he did win 6moy, and then Sabonis is just straight up better

Rice_Krispie | Kings

9 | 7 hours ago

Tbf while Arvydas is in the HoF, he was never really even close to being an NBA star

YesImKeithHernandez | Knicks

1 | 5 hours ago

Big what if to his career if he gets to play in the NBA from the start instead of being ground to dust before he got to the league.

Dopeez | Spurs

1 | 3 hours ago

name them? Sabonis is the only I could think of. And no, Dell Curry does not qualify.

FrankieBarbingo | Celtics

1 | 3 hours ago

Brent Barry?

forsuredudelol | Knicks

1 | 3 hours ago

Klays dad averaged 21 and won championships. Literally in this upcoming draft Cam Boozers kid is projected 1-3. The nba is a family business

EssentIYO | Magic

1 | 3 hours ago

Jalen Rose and Tim Hardaway Jr.

osama-bin-dada | Lakers

8 | 5 hours ago

Steph is clearly the most successful

Bronny and LeBron are also the most decorated father son duo ever /s

Dopeez | Spurs

1 | 3 hours ago

Dell Curry was not a star lol

FutureGrassToucher | Suns

1 | 4 hours ago

Jordan goodwin is the new version of that

Tricky-Efficiency709

75 | 9 hours ago

KD needs to retire a sonic

TheSpringfieldKid | Trail Blazers

24 | 7 hours ago

Jeff Green, too.

madvisuals | Lakers

2 | 3 hours ago

I kinda wanna see Russ play for the team who drafted him

MrVegosh

2 | 4 hours ago

Famously loyal KD will surely return to his first team when they are the worst team in the league and he is in his final season.

Tricky-Efficiency709

-1 | 4 hours ago

At least make suggestion 🤡

neuroticsmurf | Celtics

54 | 9 hours ago

Love to see that kind of love by a player for a city/fanbase.

Wilderness-Nomad

29 | 9 hours ago

Shoot I hope our team returns before KD retires. Would love to see him back for his twilight years.

teletubies_fo_lyf | Jazz

19 | 6 hours ago

Dawg, KD is 37. We’ve been in the twilight years

Wilderness-Nomad

4 | 5 hours ago

Dudes still one of the most effective scorers, and remains available. I’m talking about when he’s a vet presence in the locker room/bench and averaging 10ppg or less. Call it what you want.

Viron_22 | Supersonics

16 | 8 hours ago

How truly auspicious it would be for the Sonics to come back right when the Seahawks get sold to some ghoul and his private equity sponsors.

KawaiiMayhem | Supersonics

12 | 7 hours ago

Inshallah

robinsn45 | Knicks

8 | 9 hours ago

Player asking out while under contract publicly? Time to fine him, Adam (jk).

zaraf_b3ngal | San Francisco Warriors

6 | 6 hours ago

Right now plan is for Vegas and Sonics to be back, once LeBron retires.

Source: Trust me bro

(But really nah I heard from corporate sources, that are prepping for one of the teams)

Aggressive_Repeat529

3 | 6 hours ago

If this is true….Lebron is coming back next year (he wants a retirement tour). So that outs it at he retires in April 2027. So are we thinking Oct 2028??

zaraf_b3ngal | San Francisco Warriors

3 | 6 hours ago

Yeah not too sure about the exact timeline or details of LeBron retiring, just that that’s supposed to be the trigger event for the new teams.

If I had to guess Oct 2027 is a little optimistic, so starting from Oct 2028 would be eligible

TripleSingleHOF | Bulls [CHI] Alex Caruso

6 | 9 hours ago

Not gonna lie, that would be pretty fuckin’ cool.

theskyopenedup | Knicks

6 | 5 hours ago

Absolutely insane it has taken this long for Seattle to get their team back.

Pizza_Squeegee | Celtics

3 | 9 hours ago

Would love to see it

whtge8 | Magic

2 | 8 hours ago

So would Paolo lol

youblewwit

3 | 6 hours ago

So far this make believe Supersonics team will have GP2, KD and soon-to-be Grandpa Jeff Green

Diqt | Toronto Huskies

3 | 4 hours ago

The day the Sonics come back will be absolutely incredible

Hecticbrah | BKN

2 | 9 hours ago

That would be cool!

PlasticSprinkles4677

2 | 8 hours ago

It’s the current year and the SuperSonics still aren’t a team…

Suomiballer

2 | 5 hours ago

“Request a trade.” Lol I love you Gary, but c’mon

Playest_4247

1 | 4 hours ago

Odds for the number one pick in the expansion draft just shifted dramatically

BuckSleezy | Supersonics

2 | 4 hours ago

My man

totallytuatara

1 | 3 hours ago

I kind of figured the NBA would’ve announced expansion right after the last media deal/gambling money that came in. What’s taking so long now? Everyone knows it’s gonna happen, everyone knows it’s Seattle And Vegas. Let’s get on this, Silver!

SignificantList1414

0 | 8 hours ago

He’s acting like he would be a protected player in an expansion draft. You’re going to end up in Seattle without any trade buddy don’t worry.

LamonicasHubster | Spurs

0 | 4 hours ago

Zach Lavine

GPII

Dejounte Murray

the state of washington natives should get first dibs at being on the roster when they come back

EssentIYO | Magic

2 | 3 hours ago

Absolutely not.

LamonicasHubster | Spurs

1 | 3 hours ago

lmaooo

ChimayoRed9035

-8 | 7 hours ago

I’d love to see Lu Dort on the SuperSonics

No_Boysenberry_4193

-14 | 9 hours ago

dont think they would even want you champ

HokageEzio | Knicks

15 | 9 hours ago

You don’t think the Sonics would pick him in the expansion draft? That’s like the easiest PR layup ever besides signing Durant.

Thick_Duck | Thunder

0 | 8 hours ago

Is there a limit to how many players from a team can be taken in expansion draft? Particularly if two expansion teams are involved

HokageEzio | Knicks

2 | 8 hours ago

No team can lose more than one player

figureour | Wizards

7 | 9 hours ago

In those first few years as an expansion team when they’re almost certainly ass? I’m sure they’d be happy to have him for a season or two.

dawgpack09 | Supersonics

4 | 7 hours ago

Payton II jersey with whatever new style jersey they go with would be a top 5 jersey for the fans, no doubt

[Friedell] Gary Payton II says he would request a trade to the Seattle SuperSonics if they come back, and hopes to keep playing long enough to make that happen