Tag: Cameron Payne

Spurs waive Cameron Payne: Which players will get waived next?

The San Antonio Spurs waived Cameron Payne, but who is getting waived next?

The San Antonio Spurs just waived veteran point guard Cameron Payne, who they acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Suns earlier this summer. Payne, who will be 29 years old for the entirety of next season, will now have the opportunity to join a win-now roster in hopes of giving them point guard depth. He simply didn’t fit into the Spurs’ long-term plans.

And Payne isn’t the only player the Spurs are going to have to offload this summer. Even after his departure, San Antonio still has 17 players on the roster, meaning they will have to cut two more guys before the beginning of the regular season.

Payne was one of a few veterans whom the Spurs acquired in trades over the summer, with others being the likes of Reggie Bullock and Cedi Osman – both of whom are candidates to get the axe.

Bullock and Osman, along with Doug McDermott, could provide the Spurs with some solid three-point shooting at the wing, but none of them fit the current timeline of the team. In addition, guys like Khem Birch and Devonte Graham’ could also be on the chopping block.

With Victor Wembanyama at the helm and a slew of young talent behind him, including Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, and Sidy Cissoko, the Spurs will likely prioritize youth development over a veteran presence. That said, having one or two veterans on the roster heading into the year could be a valuable asset.

But when it comes down to it, Birch, Graham, Bullock, and Osman are the most likely to get cut. Two of those four will probably be gone by the start of the regular season.

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Cam Payne will help Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama: ‘Fueled by experience’

Cameron Payne has a real chance to help Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

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The San Antonio Spurs have stayed active this summer despite not making any blockbuster free agency signings. Their massive move was drafting Victor Wembanyama, as he’s set to be the face of the franchise for many years to come. However, since then, they’ve made additions around the edges of the roster.

In a multitude of trades, the Spurs added Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens (who they have since waived), Reggie Bullock, and Cameron Payne. All have some level of experience, but Payne has been through a lot during his NBA career, giving him a unique perspective and an opportunity to help the Spurs’ youngsters, including Wembanyama.

Matt Guzman of Inside the Spurs thinks Payne could be a real help to this young Spurs squad.

“Reggie Bullock, Cedi Osman and Payne are joining a new era of Spurs basketball, one that’s led by Wembanyama but fueled by experience,” Guzman wrote. “And Payne is no stranger to that, as he’ll look to continue to be a strong scorer, an improving defender and most importantly, a fervent leader.

San Antonio isn’t likely to do a roster-purge of its own, either, so Payne can rest easy knowing that if he proves to be as valuable as he was to Phoenix, he’ll likely be a lasting member of the Spurs moving forward, especially as a player who adds depth for Gregg Popovich.

All-in-all, the veteran isn’t the entire answer for San Antonio, but he brings strong play on the court and a strong voice off of it, setting him up to be a big part of the Spurs’ mission of having a winning ‘Cam-Payne’ in multiple ways.”

What role should Payne play in San Antonio next year?

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How Cameron Payne, Reggie Bullock can help Spurs after trades

The San Antonio Spurs recently added veterans Reggie Bullock and Cameron Payne via two separate trades, and both will be able to help.

The San Antonio Spurs had a relatively relaxed offseason. That’s not to say they didn’t make moves – they did – the Spurs just didn’t make as many additions as some expected them to, as they had a bunch of cap space heading into free agency, but only made internal re-additions.

However, they drafted Victor Wembanyama and Sidy Cissoko, solidifying a solid rookie class, and they helped facilitate a deal between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. The Spurs added veteran wing Reggie Bullock in that deal. And most recently, they acquired veteran point guard Cameron Payne in a deal with the Phoenix Suns.

Heading into next season, Payne and Bullock will be 29 and 32 years old, respectively. And while the Spurs are just entering a rebuild, both could bring serious value to San Antonio.

Payne appeared in 48 games for the Suns this past season, averaging 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 41.5% from the field and 36.8% from behind the three-point line.

Meanwhile, Bullock appeared in 78 games for the Mavericks this past year, putting up 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 40.9% from the floor and 38.0% shooting from distance.

For a young Spurs team, the value of veterans will be huge, as they will be able to help mentor guys like Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson.

San Antonio has missed the playoffs for four straight seasons – the longest drought in franchise history. And with Wembanyama now in place, they should set their sights on getting back to the postseason.

Having veterans like Bullock and Payne on the team will provide them with a calming presence off the bench. Plus, both guys are more than capable of playing rotational minutes for the Spurs as they look to grow and compete.

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Spurs land guard Cam Payne in trade with Suns

Cameron “Haboob” Payne is being traded to the San Antonio Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs have acquired veteran point guard Cameron Payne from the Phoenix Suns in a trade, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. San Antonio will receive Payne, a future second-round pick, and financial compensation in exchange for an outgoing future second-round pick to complete the deal.

Payne’s $6.5 million contract was guaranteed by Phoenix this June, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. A little undersized at 6-foot-1, Payne uses his speed, craftiness, and tenacity to his advantage and was a major player for Phoenix during the team’s trip to the NBA Finals in 2021. The veteran point guard averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 assists in a bench role with the Suns during the 2022-23 campaign.

Phoenix made several transactions Sunday morning. The team acquired more draft capital in a move with the Orlando Magic and also signed big man Bol Bol. As contenders like the Suns have reimagined their rosters ahead of next season, San Antonio has been a helpful and willing partner, landing valuable pieces and players in the process.

Top five worst draft picks made in OKC Thunder history

Let’s look at the 5 worst draft picks made in OKC Thunder history:

The 2023 NBA draft is getting closer by the day, which means it’s time to look back and review the Oklahoma City Thunder’s short draft history.

Every team has swings and misses with draft picks, but the Thunder do an excellent job at utilizing their premium picks. And, they’ll have another at No. 12 this month.

Let’s look at the five worst draft picks made by the Thunder. For whatever reason, these five players never worked out in OKC.

For simplicity’s sake, this will only include drafts where general manager Sam Presti was the man in charge, which means the Seattle Supersonics will mostly not be in consideration for this exercise.

WATCH: LeBron tells Suns’ Cameron Payne to stay humble, reminds him he was out of the NBA

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Suns guard Cameron Payne got into it during Friday’s contest.

Friday’s contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns got heated as the Suns cruised to a 32-point lead and eventually won the game.

Despite having a first-quarter lead, the Lakers collapsed in the second and third quarters when the game didn’t go their way.

Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard got into a brief physical altercation on the bench, head coach Frank Vogel got into the ears of an official and followed the referee down the sideline, a fan slapped Rajon Rondo’s hand and was ejected and other moments as frustrations boiled.

Then LeBron James and Suns guard Cameron Payne exchanged words (NSFW) (h/t: @2Cool2Blog):

James tells Payne something along the lines of: “Stay humble…You was at home a year and a half ago, now you wanna pop off.”

James referred to the time when Payne, the 14th overall pick in 2015, fell out of the league in 2018-19 and played overseas. But Payne bounced back and eventually found a home with the Suns. Payne was instrumental last season when the Suns eliminated the Lakers, and the trash talk between the two teams continues to escalate.

The two squads next play on Dec. 21 in Staples Center.

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Nikola Jokic was ejected for a flagrant foul in Game 4, and basketball fans had a lot to say

Nikola Jokic’s ejection sparked a fierce reaction from NBA fans.

Elimination Game 4 between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday was quite the spirited affair. In the midst of a close game — with the Nuggets needing a win or their season would be over — league MVP Nikola Jokic was ejected after an extremely confrontational dust-up with Cameron Payne.

Jokic’s night was ended after accruing a flagrant 2 in the third quarter, where in an attempt to knock the ball loose from Payne, the NBA’s MVP winner got his opponent’s face instead on the hard hit. The Nuggets and Suns got testy on the court in the aftermath of the play and then Jokic was ejected after a review deemed his swat to have “wind-up, impact and follow-through.”

Here’s how the play went down, with less than four minutes left in the third.

To say Jokic’s ejection went down poorly with fans, media members, and even other athletes is… an understatement. Though the majority of the outrage came from the disbelief that Jokic was tossed in such a crucial time in the game, there were people that believed the ejection was warranted.

Suns’ Cameron Payne has earned his spot back in the NBA during bubble

The Phoenix Suns have been the most impressive team during the NBA restart, getting massive contributions from new signee Cameron Payne.

The Phoenix Suns have been the most impressive team during the NBA restart, getting massive contributions from new signee Cameron Payne.

The former lottery pick had not played in the league since January 2019. But the Suns are undefeated in their seven games he has played. Phoenix has also outscored opponents by 21.6 points per 100 possessions when he has been on the floor. His plus-minus (69) ranks in the top three among all NBA players since the restart began on July 30.

Payne is currently averaging 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 22.5 minutes per game. He is averaging 1.8 connections from 3-point range, shooting 11-for-22 (50.0%) from 3-point range.

The most important part of his game has been his ability to create his own shot, which is a proven commodity that makes him a fit for any team in the NBA.

He has connected on 28 field goals for Phoenix thus far and just 11 have been assisted. Payne has also made 10 buckets within five feet of the rim and of these looks, just one has come after a dime from his teammates. This trails only Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard for the most prolific rate in the NBA.

His ability to score without the help of a teammate currently ranks in the 80th percentile among all combo guards, per Cleaning the Glass. This has been the most impactful way his presence has been felt for Phoenix.

While a small sample size, Payne has not yet required an assist on any of the mid-range attempts he has connected on so far this season. He has been able to create his own space, gliding around the floor.

Payne has also been able to make defenders dance and look foolish on the court. His footwork has been phenomenal, carefully finding moments to step beyond the arc while opponents are still in front of the line.

Overall, via Synergy, he is 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) when he has shot off the bounce since he signed with Phoenix. He is also currently 4-for-7 (57.1 percent) when he has taken pull-up jumpers for the Suns.

He is currently averaging 1.21 points per possession when dribbling off the pick in PnR sets, according to Synergy, which ranks 94th percentile. Payne has connected on all five of his dribble jumpers out of the high pick-and-roll, not yet missing.

He is 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) when shooting after seven or more dribbles, according to NBA.com. The confidence he has to even take this look after the dribbling that he completed above shows fans exactly what kind of player he is on the court.

Payne is owed $196,288 for his services in the bubble, a prorated minimum deal for his late addition.

The team has a built-in $2 million option to pick up his contract for the 2020-21 season. But according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, that figure is guaranteed at $25K.

Rather than play on what is essentially a non-guaranteed deal, it seems more likely that Payne tests the open market and finds a new home whether it is in the NBA or otherwise. But teams looking for a hungry scorer are going to be able to find one in Payne.

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