PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are picking up the pieces following a first-round elimination at the hand of the New York Knicks. It was a tough way to go out in a challenging season dominated by injuries.
The Sixers made a handful of moves at the trade deadline in February. One of those moves was acquiring Cam Payne in a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. In 31 games with the Sixers, Payne averaged 9.3 points and shot 38.2% from deep.
Payne also made an impact in the playoffs. He shot 44.4% from deep against the New York Knicks. After the series loss, Payne, a free agent to be, expressed a desire to return to the Sixers as well as his love for Philadelphia.
“Absolutely,” Payne said of a possible return. “I love Philly. I think Philly loves me. I like the vibes so far. Everybody rocking with me here. I guess I kinda set a good tone here. Made a good impression. Hopefully, I’ll be back. I kinda like this locker room. I like this one right here (pointing at his own). Hopefully, I’m back.”
Payne never had the chance to play with a fully healthy Joel Embiid. He played with him down the stretch of the season and in the playoffs, but obviously, Embiid was still recovering from the meniscus injury. He is excited to see how the big fella and Tyrese Maxey continue to grow as a pairing,
“They gonna be a reckoning to deal with for the next few years,” Payne said of the duo. “We always got a chance no matter if we’re up or we’re down, I feel comfortable with them out there. Joel probably played on a bad knee, but shoot, if you look at the box score, you would think he didn’t have nothing wrong with him. I’m looking forward to seeing him super healthy and see how that looks.”
With a healthy Embiid in the fold for the 2024-25 season, Payne is hoping he can make an impact next to Philadelphia’s All-Star duo to make a run at a title.
“I never really paid attention and watched him play until I was here,” Payne finished. “He’s a great talent. I’ve been playing with Tyrese these last few months so I’ve seen what he’s capable of, but Joel, that’s the MVP to me. I’m ready to see him super healthy and I’m pretty sure that they, hopefully I’m here, can have a championship run next year.”
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