FanHouse

The "Gary Payton to the Warriors" rumor first surfaced a couple of weeks ago, but since then it's more or less been dormant. That doesn't mean that it died on the vine, though, as Golden State of Mind points out how his name has been connected with the team at least two more times in recent days.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel suggested that D-League call-up C.J. Watson would soon be replaced by Payton on the Warriors' roster, while Marc Stein of ESPN got Baron Davis to campaign for GP's addition:

Baron Davis continues to say that he would welcome the free-agent addition of Gary Payton if Warriors coach Don Nelson eventually decides he wants a more seasoned backup at the point.

"Absolutely," says Davis. "Him being an Oakland native, his mentality and leadership, he'd fit in great with us."

There's no doubt that Payton's mentality and attitude would fit in, but would his legs? The Warriors play at a frantic pace (third in the league behind Denver and Indiana) and I'm not sure a 39-year-old point guard who's been sitting for half the season could keep up. This might be one of those things that looks good on paper but not in the real world.