Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts with Jalen Brunson.
New York Knicks new addition Cam Payne is expected to soak up the backup point guard minutes next season, according to SNY’s Knicks insider Ian Begley.
“Obviously, the Knicks were looking to add a ball handler — to have Payne spell Jalen Brunson at times and have a ball handler in that second unit,” the Knicks insider said on “Begley’s Mailbag” on July 18.
“They think of [Miles McBride] as an off-ball guard who can handle the ball when needed. So that’s why you added a Cam Payne. How many minutes is he going to get? He’s going to get significant minutes in that second unit — be the floor leader for that bench unit, which we would assume would include Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and maybe McBride. So that’s where it sits with Cam Payne. He will get consistent minutes. I don’t think he would have come here without the idea of getting minutes.
I haven’t heard that specifically, but it would surprise me because I’m sure he had several suitors down there on the open market. So, yeah the Knicks adding a much-needed ball handler to the roster, and we will see how things shake out once we get into training camp and in the preseason.”
Playoff-Tested Backup Point Guard
Payne agreed to join the Knicks on a veteran minimum deal, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on July 15.
The move reunited him with his friend and former Phoenix Suns teammate Mikal Bridges, who the Knicks acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for five first-round picks, including four unprotected, and a pick swap.
Payne was the 14th overall pick in 2015. But he was in and out of the NBA in the first five years of his professional career until he emerged as a key bench piece, backing up future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, when the Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2020.
Since then, Payne had two stops with playoff teams Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers before coming to New York. Last season, Payne played a key role in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the Knicks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The 29-year-old point guard knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points, 3 assists and 2 blocks off the bench.
In 58 playoff games throughout his first nine seasons in the NBA, Payne averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 assists.
The Knicks certainly took note of that and factored in their decision to sign him.
Josh Hart Welcomes Cam Payne with a Playful Shoutout
Hart poked fun at his new teammate, welcoming him in true Hart fashion.
“Shoutout Terry,” Hart wrote on X after Payne’s signing with the Knicks was reported.
Hart’s playful jab at Payne was a reference to his arrest on June 14 in Arizona after he refused to give his real name, and instead repeatedly used Terry Johnson, to the police officers who responded to his 911 call following an argument with his girlfriend, according to TMZ.
Payne was booked on two separate charges — one count of refusal to provide a truthful name and one count of false report to law enforcement — but he was released shortly after, per TMZ.
The veteran NBA point guard has yet to publicly comment on his reported arrest.