As the Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the re-signing of forward KJ Martin, NBA Insider Chris Haynes announced that former Sixers guard Cam Payne would be signing a one-year deal with the New York Knicks.
The Sixers acquired Payne alongside a 2027 second-pick midway through the season in exchange for veteran guard Patrick Beverley. As useful as Beverley proved throughout the first half of the season, both on the court and as a veteran presence, Payne was even more so. While he may not have presented the same level of intense grit as Beverley, Payne had a certain je ne sais quoi that bled into the team.
All told, Payne played in 31 regular season games for the Philadelphia 76ers—starting in eight of them. In that time, he averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 38.7 percent from three on 4.4 attempts per game.
Though not initially expected to be a playoff contributor, even after he exceeded expectations during his Sixers tenure, Cam Payne found his way into the rotation. As Buddy Hield continued to struggle and the Sixers found themselves desperate for an answer, head coach Nick Nurse moved Payne into the rotation, and Philadelphia found an immediate boost.
Payne played a crucial role in the Sixers winning their first game of the first round, which came as they were down 2-0 in the series. He maintained his role throughout the rest of the round and averaged seven points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from deep on 4.5 attempts per game.
Now as a New York Knick, Payne will skip down the Garden next season, just as he had done in Philadelphia during his short but impactful stint with the Sixers.
