.jpg) Payne with theOklahoma City Thunder in 2017 | |
| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1994-08-08)August 8, 1994 (age 31) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 183 lb (83 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tennessee) |
| College | Murray State (2013–2015) |
| NBA draft | 2015: 1st round, 14th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Playing career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2015–2017 | →Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2017–2019 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2017–2018 | →Windy City Bulls |
| 2019 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2019–2020 | Shanxi Loongs |
| 2020 | Texas Legends |
| 2020–2023 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2023–2024 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2024 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2024–2025 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Cameron Payne (born August 8, 1994) is an American professionalbasketball player who last played for theNew York Knicks of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball forMurray State and was selected 14th overall by theOklahoma City Thunder in the2015 NBA draft. After playing two seasons for the Thunder, he was traded to theChicago Bulls in 2017, where he played for three seasons before being waived in 2019.
After being waived, Payne played for theCleveland Cavaliers on 10-day contracts before heading overseas to play with theShanxi Loongs of theChinese Basketball Association (CBA). Payne returned to the NBA and signed with thePhoenix Suns in 2020, where he revitalized his career by becoming a key player off the bench, helping the team reach theNBA Finals in2021. Since then, he has played for theMilwaukee Bucks,Philadelphia 76ers, and theNew York Knicks.
Payne attendedLausanne Collegiate School inMemphis, Tennessee. He grew from 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) as a freshman to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) as a senior. Despite leading Lausanne Collegiate to a 2013 Division II state title in Tennessee, Payne was not a heavily scouted player by collegiate programs. He was considered to be a three-star recruit byRivals.com and was not ranked in the top 100 prospects. He was recruited byWilliam Small to playcollege basketball atMurray State, choosing the Racers over a few other schools. Payne then went from a relatively unknown college recruit to a potential NBA lottery pick.
As a freshman, Payne averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.[1][2] He was forced to start at point guard as a freshman due to an injury to Zay Jackson and began his collegiate career registering 21 points, five boards and four assists in the team's opener atValparaiso.[2] Payne earned first-team All-OVC honors and was named Freshman of the Year by the conference.[3] As a sophomore, he was theOhio Valley Conference Player of the Year after he averaged 20.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.[4] Payne opted to declare for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season.[3]
During workouts before the NBA draft, Payne broke the ring finger on his non-shooting hand. The injury did not require surgery.[3] On June 25, 2015, Payne was selected by theOklahoma City Thunder with the 14th overall pick in the2015 NBA draft.[5] On July 10, 2015, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Thunder.[6] He made his debut for the Thunder on November 1 in a 117–93 win over theDenver Nuggets, recording three assists in four minutes.[7] On December 5, he was assigned to theOklahoma City Blue, the Thunder'sD-League affiliate.[8] He was recalled on December 6,[9] reassigned on December 15,[10] and recalled again on December 16.[11] On December 29, he had a 16-point effort in a 131–123 win over theMilwaukee Bucks. In the Thunder's regular-season finale on April 12, 2016, Payne recorded career highs of 17 points and seven assists in a 102–98 loss to theSan Antonio Spurs.[12]
On July 25, 2016, Payne underwent a successful procedure to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot.[13] He recovered quickly and was cleared to practice when training camp opened. He went through full contact during the Thunder's first two days of practice,[14] but on September 27, he suffered an acute fracture to his fifth metatarsal in the team's Blue-White Scrimmage.[15] As a result, he missed the first two months of the 2016–17 season. After spending six days with the Oklahoma City Blue in early January,[16][17] Payne joined the Thunder playing group for the first time in 2016–17 on January 7.[18] He subsequently made his season debut that night, scoring eight points in 13 minutes against the Denver Nuggets.[19] On February 9, 2017, he scored a season-high 15 points in a 118–109 win over theCleveland Cavaliers.[20]
On February 23, 2017, Payne was traded, along withJoffrey Lauvergne andAnthony Morrow, to theChicago Bulls in exchange forTaj Gibson,Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round draft pick.[21] During the 2016–17 season, Payne had multiple assignments with theWindy City Bulls, the Bulls' D-League affiliate.[22]
On September 8, 2017, Payne was ruled out for three to four months after undergoing surgery on his right foot two days prior.[23] He made his season debut for the Bulls on February 22, 2018, in a 116–115 loss to thePhiladelphia 76ers.[24] On March 17, 2018, Payne recorded his first professional double-double in his NBA career, putting up 13 points and a career-high 10 assists in a 114–109 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers.[25] On March 23, 2018, he had a career-high 17 points and six assists in a 118–105 loss to theMilwaukee Bucks.[26]
On October 24, 2018, Payne scored all of his career-high 21 points in the second half of the Bulls' 112–110 win over theCharlotte Hornets, going 7 for 11 on 3-pointers.[27] On January 3, 2019, he was waived by the Bulls.[28]
On January 6, 2019, Payne signed a 10-day contract with theCleveland Cavaliers.[29] On January 16, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Cavaliers.[30] He parted ways with the Cavaliers following the expiration of his second 10-day contract.[31]
On July 25, 2019, Payne signed a contract with theToronto Raptors.[32] On October 8, 2019, Payne played for 12 minutes against the Houston Rockets in a preseason game and tallied four points, one assist, and one rebound. On October 19, 2019, the Raptors released Payne.[33]
On November 12, 2019, Payne was reported to join theShanxi Loongs.[34] He played in two games for the team, averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 4.5 steals per contest. On January 2, 2020, Payne was replaced.[35]
On January 25, 2020, theTexas Legends announced that they had acquired Payne.[36]
During the week of March 3, 2020, Payne was named the NBA G-League Player of the Week, averaging 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game while leading the Legends to a perfect 3–0 record for the week.[37]
On June 30, 2020, Payne agreed to a two-season deal with thePhoenix Suns.[38] He made his debut on July 31 in the2020 NBA Bubble, where he recorded nine points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals on aplus-minus of +21 in a 125–112 win over theWashington Wizards.[39] On August 7, 2020, Payne recorded a season-high 15 points in a 114–99 win over theIndiana Pacers.[40] He later repeated his season-high in a blowout 128–102 win over theDallas Mavericks, helping the team be undefeated in all eight games the Suns played in the bubble while coming off the bench and having his highest scoring and rebounding season averages in the NBA yet.[41]
After his successful time in the bubble, Payne had his second season option picked up on November 18, 2020.[42] In his second season with Phoenix, Payne continued the successful production he had in the 2020 bubble off the bench. On January 6, 2021, he tied his then career-high of 10 assists in only 16 minutes of play in a 123–115 win over theToronto Raptors.[43] On February 20, he scored a season-high 19 points and put up seven assists in a blowout 128–97 win over theMemphis Grizzlies.[44] On March 4, Payne recorded his second career double-double in the NBA, leading the Suns that night with 17 points and 10 assists coming off the bench in a 120–98 blowout win over theGolden State Warriors.[45]
On June 22, 2021, Payne recorded a career-high in the Western Conference Finals against theLos Angeles Clippers, recording 29 points, along with nine assists, two steals, and two blocks in the Suns' 104–103 win.[46] Payne helped the Suns reach the2021 NBA Finals, but the Suns lost the series in 6 games to theMilwaukee Bucks.[47]
On March 4, 2022, Payne recorded a career-high 16 assists to go with 17 points in a 115–114 win over theNew York Knicks.[48]On November 16, 2022, Payne matched his career-high of 29 points in a 130–119 win over the defending championGolden State Warriors.
During the semi-final round of the2023 NBA Playoffs, in a Game 6 against theDenver Nuggets, Payne broke his career high in points scored, scoring 31 points in a 125–100 loss. Payne led the Suns in scoring that night, with his next highest-scoring teammate beingKevin Durant with 23. The Suns would be eliminated after this game losing the series 4–2.
On July 17, 2023, the Suns traded Payne, a 2025 second-round pick, and cash considerations to theSan Antonio Spurs in exchange for a protected second-round pick in 2024[49] and on September 11, he was waived.[50] On October 2, he signed a one-year deal with theMilwaukee Bucks.[51]
On February 8, 2024, Payne was traded, alongside a 2027 second-round pick to thePhiladelphia 76ers in exchange forPatrick Beverley.[52] On February 9, Payne made his 76ers debut, putting up 20 points and six assists in a 127–121 loss to theAtlanta Hawks.[53]
On July 15, 2024, Payne signed with theNew York Knicks.[54] In game one of the first-round playoff series against theDetroit Pistons, Payne led a rally by scoring 11 of his 14 points in the 4th quarter to help seal the win for the Knicks.[55]
On October 9, 2025, Payne signed with theIndiana Pacers.[56]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Oklahoma City | 57 | 1 | 12.2 | .410 | .324 | .792 | 1.5 | 1.9 | .6 | .1 | 5.0 |
| 2016–17 | Oklahoma City | 20 | 0 | 16.0 | .331 | .308 | 1.000 | 1.6 | 2.0 | .5 | .3 | 5.3 |
| Chicago | 11 | 0 | 12.9 | .333 | .324 | .250 | 1.5 | 1.4 | .4 | .0 | 4.9 | |
| 2017–18 | Chicago | 25 | 14 | 23.3 | .405 | .385 | .750 | 2.8 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .4 | 8.8 |
| 2018–19 | Chicago | 31 | 12 | 17.3 | .411 | .271 | .880 | 1.7 | 2.7 | .6 | .2 | 5.7 |
| Cleveland | 9 | 1 | 19.6 | .491 | .360 | .688 | 2.1 | 2.6 | .9 | .3 | 8.2 | |
| 2019–20 | Phoenix | 8 | 0 | 22.9 | .485 | .517 | .857 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 10.9 |
| 2020–21 | Phoenix | 60 | 1 | 18.0 | .484 | .440 | .893 | 2.4 | 3.6 | .6 | .3 | 8.4 |
| 2021–22 | Phoenix | 58 | 12 | 22.0 | .409 | .336 | .843 | 3.0 | 4.9 | .7 | .3 | 10.8 |
| 2022–23 | Phoenix | 48 | 15 | 20.2 | .415 | .368 | .766 | 2.2 | 4.5 | .7 | .2 | 10.3 |
| 2023–24 | Milwaukee | 47 | 2 | 14.9 | .455 | .397 | .841 | 1.3 | 2.3 | .5 | .1 | 6.2 |
| Philadelphia | 31 | 8 | 19.4 | .413 | .382 | .913 | 1.8 | 3.1 | .6 | .3 | 9.3 | |
| 2024–25 | New York | 72 | 5 | 15.1 | .401 | .363 | .907 | 1.4 | 2.8 | .5 | .2 | 6.9 |
| Career | 477 | 71 | 17.5 | .419 | .368 | .836 | 2.0 | 3.2 | .6 | .2 | 7.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Oklahoma City | 10 | 0 | 6.4 | .269 | .200 | .500 | .4 | .8 | .2 | .2 | 1.8 |
| 2017 | Chicago | 1 | 0 | 4.2 | .500 | 1.000 | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | Phoenix | 22 | 2 | 19.0 | .425 | .362 | .889 | 2.5 | 3.2 | .8 | .5 | 9.3 |
| 2022 | Phoenix | 13 | 0 | 13.2 | .297 | .167 | .833 | 1.5 | 2.1 | .5 | .1 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | Phoenix | 7 | 4 | 21.8 | .479 | .407 | .000 | 2.0 | 2.9 | .4 | .3 | 8.1 |
| 2024 | Philadelphia | 5 | 0 | 12.2 | .400 | .444 | — | 1.2 | 1.4 | .2 | .8 | 5.6 |
| 2025 | New York | 14 | 0 | 7.3 | .324 | .238 | .333 | .6 | .6 | .4 | .1 | 2.1 |
| Career | 72 | 6 | 13.5 | .388 | .324 | .706 | 1.5 | 2.0 | .5 | .3 | 5.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Murray State | 34 | 34 | 32.7 | .404 | .341 | .774 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 1.7 | .6 | 16.8 |
| 2014–15 | Murray State | 35 | 35 | 32.2 | .456 | .377 | .787 | 3.7 | 6.0 | 1.9 | .5 | 20.2 |
| Career | 69 | 69 | 32.4 | .432 | .359 | .781 | 3.7 | 5.7 | 1.8 | .5 | 18.5 | |
His father, Tony Payne, was once a youth basketball coach. He and his mother, Leshawn Payne, were also instrumental in helping Payne out with returning to the NBA after briefly being out of the league forChina and theNBA G League.[57]
On June 14, 2024, Payne was arrested inScottsdale, Arizona, for not telling officers his real name as well as providing a false report to law enforcement, reportedly referring to himself as "Terry Johnson" according to police.[58] Payne was taken to Scottsdale City Jail and was later released.[59]
