Tag: Cam Payne

Cam Payne to leave Sixers in free agency, sign 1-year deal with Knicks

Cam Payne will leave the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency and sign a 1-year deal with the New York Knicks.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a wise move at the deadline when they sent Patrick Beverley away to the Milwaukee Bucks in a deal that brought in Cam Payne. In 31 games with eight starts for Philadelphia, Payne averaged 9.3 points and shot 38.2% from deep.

He also was a big help in the playoffs against the New York Knicks. He shot 44.4% from beyond the arc and made a big difference in the Game 3 win over New York when he hopped off the bench and scored 11 points with three assists.

Now, Payne is headed to the team that eliminated Philadelphia in Round 1. He will sign a 1-year $3.1 million deal with the Knicks.

Payne will be a key piece off the bench for New York and just add to the depth for the Knicks. He was not going to receive much playing time with the Sixers when considering the return of Kyle Lowry and the selection of Jared McCain in the draft.

 

Report: Sixers’ Cam Payne arrested in Arizona for allegedly giving false report

Per TMZ Sports, Philadelphia 76ers guard Cam Payne was arrested in Arizona on Friday morning for allegedly providing a false report.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team with a lot of decisions to make this offseason as they look to hopefully add a third star to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. In the meantime, one of the players that spent time with Philadelphia this season has some important to worry about himself.

Per TMZ Sports on Friday, Sixers guard Cam Payne was arrested in Arizona after the police claimed that he gave a false report. Payne, who played four seasons for the Phoenix Suns from 2020 to 2023 prior to coming to Philadelphia, has some ties to the Scottsdale area after his time in Phoenix.

“According to the Scottsdale Police Department, authorities were called out to investigate a disturbance in Scottsdale at around 2:44 AM — and came into contact with Payne and another individual,” TMZ wrote. The report goes on to say that details about what exactly happened with Payne and the individual are scarce so it’s difficult what the situation was.

However, TMZ Sports does relay that “the SPD says Payne was arrested on the scene and booked on one charge of refusal to provide a truthful name and one count of false report to law enforcement.” Per TMZ, Payne was released from custody a short time after he was arrested.

Payne, 29, is an unrestricted free-agent this summer who could be coming back to the Sixers if the interests of both sides align, especially with Philadelphia trying to keep its championship window with Embiid open. Payne averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 38.2% from deep in 31 games played (eight starts).

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Cam Payne desires return to Sixers, expresses love for Philadelphia

Cam Payne expressed a desire to return to the Philadelphia 76ers as well as his love for the city.

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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Sixers going into Game 6 with mentality they are going to beat Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into Game 6 with the mentality that they will beat the New York Knicks.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are in another elimination game as they play host to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of this Round 1 series. The Sixers were able to pick up a miraculous win in Game 5 on the road and now have a chance to force a Game 7 back in New York.

The Sixers have been a tough team all season long. They have had to go through a lot of adversity and tough stretches as they have dealt with injuries to Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, and other key pieces.

When considering the fact that the Sixers have gone through so much, they are staying loose ahead of another elimination contest.

“Gotta be,” said Cam Payne on Thursday. “Gotta be loose. We can’t be tight. We got a game tonight, must-win. I mean I feel like the looser you are, the better chances you’ve got to me. The more tight, you may not make the shots, you may be worried about your shots, but coach got a very loose mentality: Come out here and play your game, do what you’re gonna do, take the shots that you normally take.”

There is a lot riding on this game for Philadelphia. If the Knicks come into the Wells Fargo Center and eliminate the Sixers, there will be a lot of questions heading into an early offseason. If Philadelphia is able to get a win, then it keeps the season alive for a winner-take-all Game 7.

Payne isn’t trying to hear any of that potential loss stuff.

“I mean me, for me, I’m gonna keep my energy the same winning or losing, and sometimes that affects other people,” Payne added. “You know, some people will come in all sad and stuff, I don’t know if we’re going to win. You might not get the right – I don’t know – you might not get the right energy you need. You might not get the right shots you want to make because you’re thinking about ‘man, what if we lose.’ Nah. We’ve got the mentality that we’re coming in to win tonight.”

Tip off is set for 9 p.m. EDT in South Philadelphia.

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Sixers give love to Cam Payne for big performance in Game 3 vs. Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers gave a lot of love to Cam Payne for his efforts in a Game 3 win over the New York Knicks.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers picked up a huge 125-114 win over the New York Knicks in Game 3 on Thursday thanks to the heroics of Joel Embiid. The big fella had a playoff career-high 50 points despite the knee injury and Bell’s Palsy bothering him.

However, a big factor in the win was the play of Cam Payne. The spark plug hopped off the bench and had 11 points while knocking down three 3s. He had eight points in the second quarter and gave Philadelphia a boost on both ends of the floor.

Along with the eight points, he also had two blocks.

“Unbelievable,” Kyle Lowry said. “I think Cam Payne was the MVP of this game. He’s staying ready. He’s always constantly got energy and he’s a guy who’s been in this situation before. high energy, high-level IQ, and we need that. It’s a guy in the playoffs that always steps up for you and every single game, it’s a different guy and tonight, Cam Payne was our real-life X factor.”

To Lowry’s point, there is always somebody who steps up in the postseason to give his team a big boost. On Thursday, that guy was Payne as he came up with the big plays the Sixers needed off the bench to match what the Knicks were receiving from theirs.

“That’s what we expect out of him,” Kelly Oubre Jr. added. “Energy and then coming in and kinda keeping us alive. That’s exactly what he did tonight, but it’s tough to stay ready when things change a lot, but for him, he’s been in a lot of big moments. He’s been in a lot of big games and finals and things like that so we lean on him just for the energy and everything he brings to the game of basketball.”

The bench unit was a big factor in New York’s wins in games 1 and 2. The Knicks received big performances from Deuce McBride, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson. Philadelphia responded in Game 3 with Payne stepping up.

“It was huge,” Tobias Harris stated. “Just his energy. His shot-making as well. His speed. Just to get a different dynamic for us out there on the floor. I just know he did a great job embracing the moment and got going for us.”
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Veteran Cam Payne providing spark, energy for Sixers off the bench

Cam Payne is focused on providing a spark and energy off the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers will go as far as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey take them in the NBA Playoffs, but there will be moments when somebody off the bench will have to step up and produce to turn the tide.

Cam Payne is an example of that. He is a bundle of energy and is somebody who can knock down 3s and give Philadelphia points in bunches. He has finals experience from his days with the Phoenix Suns in 2021 and will look to give Philadelphia the same impact.

“My energy,” said Payne. “Luckily, the game’s cracking…My family’s always there, so I’m going to be locked in. At any point in time, I know I could go out there and have an impact, help the team win. I bounce around all the time. If y’all see me bouncing around during timeouts, that’s me staying ready.”

Payne is shooting 38.2% from deep since being acquired by the Sixers and he will have to knock down those looks in the postseason in order to earn a consistent role.

Another way to earn minutes would be for him to provide solid defense on New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson in Round 1 of the playoffs.

“Show your hands,” Payne said of defending Brunson. “Also, figure out the physicality of the game, see how the refs are calling the game. It’s a big-time awareness game. Just make sure you show your hands. You know he’s good at drawing fouls and you’ve just got to try to be smart defensively, keep your hands out of there.”

It will be interesting to see how Payne will be used in the playoffs.

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Cam Payne lays out his goals for Sixers in final stretch, talks comfort level

Cam Payne lays out his goals for the Philadelphia 76ers in this final stretch and discusses his comfort level.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have seven games left on the docket as they return home to play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. They are sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings and are looking to move up.

Cam Payne has been a big part of Philadelphia’s bench unit since he was acquired at the deadline from the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s averaging 10.3 points and 3 assists while shooting 38.9% from deep in 24 games for the Sixers.

With seven games left, Payne has only one goal on his mind: Win games.

“Man, honestly, nothing but getting wins honestly like literally,” said Payne at shootaround on Tuesday morning. “I feel like that should be everyone’s personal goal and whatever I gotta do to help the team win because, at the end of the day, that’s what we need to do to get in the playoffs. Not individually, we need the whole team. We need everybody locked in on one goal and that’s getting a win every night.”

The Sixers are 2 1/2 games behind the Indiana Pacers for the sixth place, which would guarantee a playoff spot without the need for the play-in tournament.

In terms of his comfort level with the Sixers, Payne is still working on it, but  he believes he will be OK down the stretch.

“It’s getting there a little bit,” Payne stated. “A lot of the guys are starting to get familiar with my game a little bit better. It’s been feeling good shots. Shot’s been going in but, honestly, it’s just a comfortability with the guys. Learning me. Knowing where I like it. Me knowing were they like it. It’s just a little bit of that. Just keep being out there playing.”

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Cam Payne, Sixers explain their success after road win over Clippers

Cam Payne and the Philadelphia 76ers explain their success in a road win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Philadelphia 76ers picked up an impressive win on Sunday. They went into Crypto.com Arena and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 121-107.

The Sixers withstood a number of runs by LA. Philadelphia led by 17 in the first half before the Clippers rallied to tie. The Sixers responded and pushed the lead as large as 21. It was an impressive showing for the Sixers.

Cam Payne provided a huge lift for the Sixers with 23 points off the bench, including 13 in the fourth quarter.

“I just try to bring that swagger to the game, energy, lot of fun,” Payne told reporters after the win. “Like people always say, it’s a kid’s game at the end of the day so make sure you have fun no matter what, win or lose, so tonight we were on the positive side of it, got a win, and just having fun with it, showing love to my teammates while I’m out there.”

Along with a big night from Payne, the Sixers received 24 points out of Tyrese Maxey and another 24 out of Tobias Harris. Maxey, especially, made some big plays in the second half to help Philadelphia get it done. He had 19 points in the second half, 11 in the fourth quarter, as the Sixers answered a few big Clippers runs.

“We just hung in there and we didn’t get discouraged at all,” added coach Nick Nurse. “We kept getting baskets. We kept getting loose balls, rebounds, turnovers, etc. I thought we played pretty fast. We were up the court pretty quick a few times and that was huge. When they tied it and we answered it with a 5 or 6-0 run, we took it right back to five or six there, and then that gave us a lot of confidence. You keep on looking up and it was five and it kind of seemed to stay there and it started creeping up from there.”

Whenever the Sixers needed a bucket, Payne came up with a big shot. Maxey drove to the basket and made a big play. Harris made a big shot or Kelly Oubre Jr. made a big play. It was an all-around effort.

“We knew that this game was much needed for us,” added Harris. “We had that effort out there, and there were guys who hit big, timely shots for us tonight as well to kind of make sure that the momentum didn’t swing in their direction. There was a point there in the third where it was tied up, but from there we were able to find something to get to. Tyrese got downhill to create some plays, and we got some more stops. So, that was the main game for us was to get stops and figure out ways to create a mismatch out there to get downhill and to score.”

The Sixers look to go 2-2 on this trip when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

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Sixers react to having big man Joel Embiid back at practice on Sunday

The Philadelphia 76ers react to having Joel Embiid back at practice on Sunday afternoon.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid returned to practice on Sunday for non-contact drills. The big fella continues to recover from a meniscus injury in his left knee and the subsequent surgery on Feb. 6.

Embiid participating in practice does not mean a return to the floor is right around the corner, but having the big fella do something in practice is a morale boost. His mere presence is a big positive as the team’s leader and unquestioned best player.

“He looked pretty good to me,” smiled Cam Payne. “For my first time seeing him, he looked pretty good, man. He attracts a lot of attention out here. So it’s probably gonna make our job a little bit easier.”

Payne, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline, has yet to play with Embiid on the floor. He needs to get some type of practice time with him as he gets integrated with the Sixers on the floor.

Philadelphia is 11-22 without Embiid, and they have missed him in a variety of ways. Obviously, the big fella averages 35.3 points per game. Any team misses that, but there is another area the Sixers miss him the most.

“I mean, when you have a team around one guy that pretty much like gravitates all around — I mean, of course, it’s tough to not play with him, but like I said, something that I’m so impressed by him this year was his playmaking,” Nic Batum said. “Yes, he’s scoring 35 points per game. That’s insane, but his playmaking, like the way he plays for the other guys is something that he got better. It’s something very underrated. It’s something I think we’re missing a lot.”

Embiid was averaging a career-high 5.7 assists on the season before the injury. Once he returns, one has to wonder how he will help Payne and Buddy Hield on this roster. Those guys will benefit greatly from the attention Embiid attracts on the floor and will make the offense flow so well.

With 15 games left, Philadelphia needs to continue to stay afloat until the reigning league MVP can return. As long as Embiid is on the floor, the Sixers will always have a chance.

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Cam Payne battled through the flu to try and help Sixers battle Nets

Cam Payne battled through the flu to try and help the Philadelphia 76ers battle the Brooklyn Nets.

NEW YORK — At this stage of the season, it’s all hands on deck for the Philadelphia 76ers. Missing Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and other key pieces, the Sixers visited the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday looking for a win.

After leading by as many as 14, the offense went stagnant, and Philadelphia was unable to find a groove the rest of the night. The Sixers ended up dropping one to the Nets, 112-107, and falling to seventh in the East.

The Sixers received a Herculean performance out of Cam Payne. The veteran started and played 22:35 despite battling the flu. He had 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting in the loss.

“I started feeling it when we got to Dallas,” Payne said after the game. “On the plane, it kind of kicked in. That’s why I missed the game. Today, I was at shootaround. I wasn’t feeling too good, but got back to the hotel, slept the whole time, and I was like I’m gonna give it a go. I told him I was 75-80 when he came in and said you sure? I was like yeah. He was like you’re starting then. Gotta stay ready. You gotta fight through it.”

One assumes Payne gave the effort he did due to Philadelphia missing Maxey, but he said that wasn’t the rationale. He wanted to help the Sixers take on the Nets regardless of how he was feeling.

“Nah, it wasn’t one of those things,” Payne added. “Just for me honestly, like, I was like ‘Man, I’m 30 years old bro. Get out there and play. Sick or not, bro. Just get out there and help your team.’ That’s all it was.”

Coach Nick Nurse wasn’t sure how much Payne could really give the Sixers so he turned to newly signed two-way player Jeff Dowtin Jr. in the second quarter for some backup minutes.

“At that point of the game, we weren’t sure what Cam was going to have because he played those three minutes and said he needed a sub,” said Nurse. “That was time to get Jeff’s feet wet a little bit, just in case Cam wasn’t going to be able to play much tonight. We were able to get Cam in and out and in and out to get through it. We were trying to make sure, just in case we were down to one (backup) point guard, that Jeff had already had some minutes under his belt.”

The Sixers will take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday back at home.

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