The Washington Wizards are close to signing combo guard Gary Payton II, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Fred Katz of The Athletic adds that the Wizards will not have to waive anyone to sign Payton II. The team received a hardship exception, allowing them to carry 16 players on their roster.
G League guard Gary Payton II is close to a contract with the Washington Wizards, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Payton didn’t play in Showcase game today in Las Vegas.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 21, 2019
Wizards won’t have to waive anyone to sign Payton. They have applied for & expect to receive a hardship exception, which allows them to have 16 players because of their injury issues. Teams can receive hardship when 4+ guys are injured, have missed 3+ games & will miss more time https://t.co/lroN6BramB
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 21, 2019
Payton II signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards last January. He's the son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton.
Payton II has appeared in 32 NBA games with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Wizards. He holds career averages of 3.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from beyond the arc and 42.9 percent from the free-throw line.
The Wizards are 8-19 on the season. They are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Washington isn't expected to make the playoffs this season since All-Star point guard John Wall will likely sit out the whole year recovering from his Achilles injury.
The Wizards are currently led by star shooting guard Bradley Beal, who is averaging 27.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. The two-time All-Star is shooting 44.0 percent overall and 33.2 percent from the 3-point line. Beal signed an extension with the Wizards before the season started.
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