February 18: Payne has officially signed with the Sixers, the team confirmed today in a press release.
February 16, 11:41 am: Partizan Belgrade has officially announced Payne’s departure for the NBA and the $1.75MM buyout fee it will receive to release him, Stein tweets.
February 16, 8:59 am: Cameron Payne will leave his European team and join the Sixers for the rest of the season, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The 31-year-old guard was in training camp with the Pacers last fall, but was waived before the season began. In December, he agreed to a deal with KK Partizan in Serbia, heading overseas for the first time in his career.
However, Payne has been held out of recent games, sparking rumors that he might be headed elsewhere, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. He appeared in just 10 games for Partizan, averaging 12.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals. Askounis adds that the Serbian team will receive $1.75MM in a buyout agreement.
It may take some time to secure Payne’s release from Partizan, Stein tweets. The Sixers have to obtain a Letter of Clearance from FIBA, and they can only contribute up to $875K toward his buyout.
The move will mark a return to Philadelphia for Payne, who finished the 2023/24 season with the Sixers after being acquired from Milwaukee at the trade deadline. He averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 31 games and remained in the team’s rotation for the playoffs.
Payne signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2024 and appeared in 72 games last season before becoming a free agent again.
The Sixers are down to 13 players on standard contracts after 10-day deals for Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. expired over the weekend. They have enough room to add two players on prorated veteran minimum contracts for the rest of the season without going into luxury tax territory, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
Philadelphia is low on experienced guards after trading Jared McCain to Oklahoma City, so Payne will have a chance to contribute right away. The Sixers’ season will resume Thursday against Atlanta.
He must be a great locker room guy because he is always finding his way back to the nba
They paid 1.75M to buy him out? Geez.
Welp… the tank is on
76ers aren’t tanking if that is what you are talking about
Jump out of this discussion because you obviously aren’t watching the national basketball association.
Tanking.
Nurse isnt.
Morey is.
Had to be better options for guard depth.
How are they able to pay 1.75m when international buyouts are capped at 800k, and he is signing for prorated minimum, which can’t cover the rest?
Payne has to pay the rest.
Really? Why would he volunteer to do that? Just doing some rough math he’d be out something like $500K?
Nice pickup.
Thanks for calling him “Cameron Payne” and not the cringe “Cam Payne”
Well..ok sure
Hey, who needs Jared McCain when you have Cam Payne!
Do not be surprised if there is an “understanding” he’ll re-sign for the minimum next offseason to further cover his buyout expenses.
The team saves $ and his cap hold in 27 if it’s not a multi-year deal.
Morey would never engage in that kind of handshake deal. JK
Lol, the better question would be if Morey is willing to follow through with it. If you ask a bunch of Chinese kids, they’ll tell you he isn’t to be trusted.
Yeah, that makes more sense.
Trash player for a trash franchise