Gary Payton II has not been able to establish much continuity since entering the NBA in 2016. The son of Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton had played in just 32 games over the course of the past three years, but Junior is getting another chance with the Washington Wizards…and making it count.

Payton has played at least 30-plus minutes in each of Washington's last three games, averaging 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists and shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Now, the depleted Wizards are considering keeping Payton on the roster for the remainder of the season, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.

When the Washington Wizards introduced 27-year-old Gary Payton II as their newest player, signed with a hardship exception as a stopgap relief in the team’s torrent of injuries, Coach Scott Brooks briefly mentioned a difficult decision ahead. As in, when the regular rotation players get healthier and the exception ends, the Wizards will have to determine whether to guarantee Payton’s contract.
After Payton quickly made that decision more difficult than expected, the team is already considering keeping him for the remainder of the season, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Payton started on Saturday night against the New York Knicks, scoring 15 points while adding six rebounds and six steals.

Although Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas has returned from injuries, Washington is still without Thomas Bryant, C.J. Miles and Rui Hachimura. Moreover, Davis Bertans and Moritz Wagner also missed Saturday's game against the Knicks.

The Wizards could use the added backcourt depth, particularly if they elect to employ the load management strategy with Bradley Beal after the All-Star's streak of consecutive games played ended on Saturday.

It would be a pretty remarkable development for Payton, especially considering the circumstances that brought him to D.C. in the first place.