http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1840056 Change of Glove: Payton will return to Lakers Gary Payton has decided against pushing for a buyout or trade in the wake of the Shaquille O'Neal deal and intends to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season, the guard told ESPN Radio on Wednesday. "I had a big pow-wow with my agents and my attorneys and everybody today," Payton said in Wednesday's interview. "You guys know I came out here to play with Shaq ... and now he's [been] traded. It was a big question in my mind, should I stay here? But, you know, I think I made a commitment. I made them a commitment to come back to the Lakers and I'm going to go and play." Shortly after the Lakers were ousted by Detroit in the NBA Finals, Payton bypassed free agency and exercised a $5.4 million option for next season. Yet league sources told ESPN.com on Sunday that Payton, so disturbed by the idea of O'Neal being dealt to the Heat without an established power player coming in return, was planning to push for a buyout of his contract this week. In Tuesday's editions of the Riverside (Ca.) Press-Enterprise, Payton expounded on his displeasure by saying that only the return of Karl Malone could make him want to play for the Lakers next season. "If they don't sign Karl [Malone] back, then I'll probably get up out of here," Payton told the paper. "They're going to buy me out or trade me, or something. If Karl don't come back, I ain't coming back." On Wednesday, Payton credited new Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich for his change of heart. "Rudy T. has made a big difference in that, too," said Payton, who played for Tomjanovich at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. "Becoming the coach, he says he's going to give me the freedom to play the way I played in Seattle. So I'll be OK with that, so as long as we get a team together. "The three guys we got [from Miami] are going to help us a lot. We're going to run, and if we get Kobe back, it will be even better." Payton's initial reaction to the acquisition of Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and a future first-round pick was less than enthusiastic. In the Press-Enterprise, in reference to the Lakers' sudden lack of size up front, Payton was quoted as saying: "I mean, what team are they going to put on the floor?" Payton, who turns 36 on July 23, started in every game for the Lakers: 104 including his 22 playoff starts. He averaged 14.6 points and 5.5 assists during the regular season, but struggled mightily in the playoffs in Phil Jackson's triangle offense, a system he never embraced. Essentially reduced to a spot-up shooter, Payton averaged just 4.2 points and missed 19 of 28 field-goal attempts in the postseason, but Tomjanovich believes his up-tempo system will rejuvenate the player known as The Glove.
Yeah, I heard this on joe mcdonald show ESPN 710 here in socal on my way back home yesterday. The guy sure can talk. The funny thing is Joe and Doug make fun of him all the time on their, and he was interviewing with them.
LA has the best backcourt/swingmen in the league, not even close. Not sure why people are writing them off so easily.
He's staying with the Lakers because no team will pay him more than 5.4 per year. Again, comes down to money. Its a business.
He'll get his money anyway. He might even make more money accepting a buyout from LA and then signing a smaller contract elsewhere. That and the $5.4 million doesn't compare well to the $100+ million he's already earned in his career. It ain't the money. I remember when he signed his big contract with Seattle years back. He turned down a bigger deal to stay in Seattle, saying that he was making so much already, what was a couple more million.
Are you sure about that? L.A's backcourt consists of Gary "Ole' Catcher's Mitt" Payton, Kobe "Going to pound-me-in-the-ass prison soon" Bryant, Derek "Soon-to-be-traded to Seattle, Houston, etc." Fisher, and Rick "Got knocked the f**k out by Christie" Fox. The only upgrades in their backcourt is K. Rush, Butler, and Lamar Odom (which isn't much).
I think the best backcourt thing is quite a stretch... ummm.. GP will probably have a better year running the offense his way, but they are just too small. Think of the Suns and most of the East teams.. they just cant hang with the size of the West. The person to keep an eye on will be Odom who will be an All Star someday if we can stay healthy.. only problem I see if Kobe freezing him out to pad his stats. J
