July 15, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Cam Payne's offensive spark and infectious energy gave the Sixers a genuine lift over the final few months of last season.
The Sixers have lost many pieces of their 2023-24 roster since NBA free agency began, and just saw another valued member of that team depart: veteran point guard Cam Payne, who according to a report from Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks.
Free agent guard Cameron Payne has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport. pic.twitter.com/Jw5O1ePuww
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 15, 2024
At the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, the Sixers acquired Payne and a future second-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Patrick Beverley. The move was criticized harshly, but quickly proved to be a prudent one by the team: Beverley's skills were soon going to be redundant with the arrival of Kyle Lowry nearing, and Payne's offensive juice helped uplift the Sixers during Joel Embiid's two-month absence with a meniscus injury.
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In 31 games for the Sixers (eight starts), Payne played 19.4 minutes per game, posting 9.3 points and 3.1 assists per contests while knocking down 38.2 percent of his three-point tries on 4.4 attempts per game. Perhaps just as impactful as his ability to create shots for himself and others was his infectious energy, which quickly allowed him to endear himself to his teammates, his coaches and the fanbase.
The Sixers were seemingly unable to promise Payne a surefire role on a nightly basis, and it is entirely understandable if that was a deal-breaker for him. Payne certainly deserves to be remembered fondly in Philadelphia, even after just a few months in the city.
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