4:20pm: The Spurs have officially waived Payne, the team announced in a press release.
1:01pm: The Spurs are releasing Cameron Payne, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Assuming he goes unclaimed on the waiver wire, San Antonio will be on the hook for Payne’s 2023/24 salary, which is fully guaranteed at $6.5MM. Wojnarowski says there will be a “significant market of contending teams” interesting in signing the veteran guard if he clears waivers.
Phoenix traded Payne to San Antonio a couple months ago in a salary-dump deal. The Spurs picked up a 2025 second-rounder and $5.7MM in cash as part of the trade, while the Suns received a protected 2024 second-rounder.
Payne appeared in 48 games for the Suns last season, averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .415/.368/.766. The 29-year-old will be one of the top players left on the free agent market after a solid run as a backup with Phoenix.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Spurs are facing a roster crunch — even after waiving Payne, they still have 17 players on guaranteed contracts. That number will need to be trimmed to 15 by the start of the season.
Payne freely admitted last month that he’d rather be in Phoenix than San Antonio. However, league rules forbid Payne from re-signing with the Suns, Marks notes.
With a packed roster and in the midst of a rebuild, Payne clearly wasn’t part of the Spurs’ plans. They now have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit.
Fringe NBA player complained about being traded, and was on a team with a serious roster crunch. Not very smart.
He gets paid out his contract and now has a chance to sign anywhere he wants and get a vets min salary on top of that.
More money, better destination, better side. Sounds like a good move by him actually
To whoever the guy is, who predicted this last month, and who I gave crap to…..I was wrrr..I was wrrrrr…..I stand corrected!
The Rockets have an opening at Point guard.
Warriors can use him too !!!
I think Chris Paul and Corey Joseph take up what little backup point guard minutes are available. Podski can run the one at times I think too.
Umm…GPII is also a PG.
Umm, No he isn’t.
You’re not one of those guys that says because he’s 6’3 he must be a point guard are you?
Gary Payton will guard the point guards on defense but also small forwards and shooting guards. On offense his position is small forward.
I would even go far as saying that Gary Payton is the prototypical three and D player. Plays the three man great on defense and shoots the three pointer in the corner.
Clear fit in Cleveland with Rubio out
Doubtful. More likely the Cavs just use Ty Jerome and LeVert to sponge those minutes in anticipation of Rubio coming back fairly quickly (plenty of chatter about him being there at the start of training camp).
Also, they probably don’t want to make him feel like his spot is in jeopardy. His ties to the NBA are already tenuous as it is.
Where have you heard this chatter? My impression has been that Rubio may never play again.
…that has never been stated anywhere. The only people who I’ve seen claim that are bloggers looking for clicks.
That’s why I said, “my impression.” Where is this chatter that he will be at training camp?
Several million dollar contract says he’ll definitely play NBA basketball again. It’s like when Darren Collison retired to be a Jehovah’s Witness and I said he’ll be back within 2 years.
Well he wanted to come back within 2 years but by then he was 33 years old and lost his quickness and Edge from not playing for 2 years. This kind of money doesn’t grow on trees and you have to grab it while you can whether you’re an NBA play or not.
Phoenix should be able to get him for minimum, that’s a dumb rule they can’t get him on their team if he gets released.
Lmao
Still don’t get why the Suns traded him he’s a good back up PG and they don’t even have a real starter let alone back up.
Jordan Goodwin is the only PG on the roster. Best bet is they’re going to let Booker or Beal take primary ball-handling duties. Booker, if they’re intelligent; he’s better on-ball than Beal in every way, and a better playmaker in general. Beal’s better suited to go off-ball and hunt matchups and openings.
Also, they traded him for luxury tax savings. He was the only tradeable asset they had not on a minimum deal. Trading him saved them like twelve million dollars.
Durant has shown he’s a capable ball handler and creator as well. They’ll be fine in that department. It’s depth they need to worry about.
I would think they’d rather not rely on Durant as the primary. That’s a lot to ask of a 35 year old with his injury history, especially since he’s also one of their better defenders. And Booker was handling point after CP3 went down during the playoffs. It shows the comfort level they have with him.
Also, while should probably get at least one more PG, nobody should sleep on Jordan Goodwin. Dude’s not a star or anything, but he’s solid. Excellent point-of-attack defender and he can keep an offense running smoothly without needing to hold onto the ball too much.
Durant wouldn’t be the primary, him, Beal and Booker will all be handling the responsibility.
Word is Beal will start at PG. but I’d imagine Booker handles the rock more. With how much they’re spending already cutting a proven back up PG when they have no other for savings is weak. Payne balled during that finals run.
Magicfan great points but finances take their toll. I think it’s by Design so one team can’t “get all the good players” so to speak. Some dudes Fall by the wayside and that’s how they want it. Now Cameron Payne can play elsewhere and do well hopefully.
Heat
He’s an NBA player ….. Heat can use him. Suns can use him. Rockets can use him. He’ll be picked up.
Nuggets I’d say. He won’t sign with the Rockets. Suns are prohibited from signing him. Heat maybe, but they’re very close to the second apron and need that room potentially to avoid going over in a Dame trade.
Seam, nuggets is a great call !! I bet you’re spot on there.
Raptors should be going all-out to land him. They’re still so thin at point, and having a poor man’s FVV is better than not.
They have the reigning FIBA MVP at the point.
Seriously though they could use some help Malachi Flynn doesn’t exactly holster confidence.
I believe Jonny Flynn is available
Exactly my point. They have Schroeder, and then nothing. Malachi Flynn is less than nothing.
Would like him for Philly in that backup PG role.
De’Anthony Melton ain’t no slouch although he may be the starting PG if the Harden trade goes through.
Expected… plus PHX paid the spurs to take his deal, so no loss there.
Possibly dumb question, but could some team sign him and then trade him to the Suns? Is he prohibited from signing with the Suns or being on the Suns?
If he were to be traded somewhere else and released, then they could sign him
This is how the rule is written in the CBA:
“If a Team trades a player and the assignee Team subsequently places the player on waivers, the assignor Team shall not be permitted to sign the player to a new Contract (or claim the player off of waivers) before the earlier of: (i) one (1) year following the date all conditions to the trade were satisfied; or (ii) the July 1 following the last Season of the player’s Player Contract.”
That rule only covers signing/claiming, so if a new team signed Payne, there’s no rule against TRADING him back to Phoenix before the trade deadline (though it would take at least three months for him to become trade-eligible after signing).
Makes perfect sense that San Antonio doesn’t want to keep him, but the timing surprises me.
Why didn’t they keep him longer to see if they could use him in a three-team deal for salary matching purposes?
The combination of his contract with Bullock, McDermott, Birch or Osman gave some options.
They weren’t even at the off-season limit, so the only financial explanation I can see is doing a trade where they have to take on two more players than they send out?