Gary Payton II has now made a name for himself in the NBA. After years of toiling away in the G League and bouncing from team to team for short stints, he's now proven his ability to impact winning at a championship level in the Golden State Warriors' 2021-22 title run.

While he's seemed to find a home in the Bay Area, his standout defensive play has raised his market value as he heads towards free agency. He's set to turn 30 once the season rolls around, this will likely be his best and potentially last chance to cash in on a relatively lucrative deal. That means he'll surely have a wandering eye when it comes to teams offering him a contract once NBA free agency begins.

Payton could make an impact as an end-of-the-rotation player on every franchise in the league right now. But some spots likely offer more opportunity to shine than others.

Here are the four (4) best landing spots for Gary Payton II in NBA free agency:

4 best destinations for Gary Payton II in NBA free agency

#1 – Boston Celtics

No team witnessed the impact that Gary Payton II can have in a limited role more closely than the Boston Celtics did in the 2022 NBA Finals. Payton would come in and inject energy and effort during his limited minutes on the floor, something that Boston sorely lacked from its own bench unit.

GPII's 15-5 effort to go along with three steals in a crucial Game 5 is likely still etched into the minds of Ime Udoka and Brad Stevens. For a Boston team that hangs its hat on the defense, adding another top-shelf talent on that end of the floor to keep the bench unit locked in would be a huge boon relative to what it would cost.

He'll also come in handy in any potential NBA Finals rematch, capable of supporting Marcus Smart as the primary defender on Stephen Curry and maybe spill a couple of Warriors secrets as well.

#2 – Portland Trail Blazers

The Celtics could offer Gary Payton II another spot on a contending team. But if he wants a greater role and more digits on his deal, the Portland Trail Blazers are likely a better spot for GPII.

The Blazers have boatloads of cap space. Barring a big-time move to acquire a superstar-sized contract, they're going to have some serious powder to spend. Given the recent news that they're going to re-sign center Jusuf Nurkic at around $17 million per year, they're going to need to spend their money this season too or risk losing it once the Nurk deal is consummated.

They could easily outbid offers for Payton, who would be an amazing fit alongside Damian Lillard. GPII could take the opposing side's best backcourt player and feast off cuts generated off the gravity coming from Dame, which isn't too dissimilar from what he experienced with Stephen Curry in Golden State.

Portland also has their own version of Jordan Poole in Anfernee Simons, who can get buckets but does give up his fair share on the defensive end. Adding Gary Payton II to that mix would allow them to have an elite defender next to their scoring guards for most of the game, and would net Payton likely the most PT he's ever had in his young career.

#3 – Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets' backcourt is looking awfully light after the team just traded away Monte Morris and secondary ball-handler Will Barton. Couple that with the fact that Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are both coming back from season-ending injuries and there could be serious opportunities for Gary Payton II to shine in the Mile High City.

Payton may defend point guards, but he isn't a traditional PG on the offensive side of things. That's completely fine in the Denver Nuggets' offense given that two-time MVP Nikola Jokic runs the show.

Payton is one of the best cutters and finishers in the league and will completely thrive in an offense the runs through Jokic, who will be able to find him when he makes his sneaky baseline cuts every single time.

#4 – Golden State Warriors

If you're Gary Payton II, why mess with a good thing? Staying in Golden State may not result in the biggest paycheck given that the team is looking at an astronomically large luxury tax bill. He also won't be seeing the court way too often given that he'll be playing behind Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, and Klay Thompson.

However, the Warriors organization has proven to be unmatched in recent years when it comes to management of its players and maximizing their talents. There's a reason why guys like Payton and Andrew Wiggins were finally able to find a place to excel under the brightest of spotlights.

Golden State could also be in line for a couple more championship runs in the next few seasons. If GPII racks up his steals elsewhere but has to watch the Dubs raise another banner without him, there will definitely be some bittersweet feelings in his future.