AUGUST 10: The Suns have officially signed Payton, the team announced today (via Twitter).
AUGUST 9: Payton and the Suns have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Gambadoro (Twitter link) confirms that the deal is for a veteran’s minimum salary, as he previously reported.
AUGUST 5: The Suns are close to an agreement on a one-year contract with free agent guard Elfrid Payton, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets.
Evan Sidery of Basketball News broke the news on the Suns’ negotiations with Payton (Twitter link), while John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 confirms (via Twitter) that the club has made a one-year, minimum-salary offer.
If the contract is finalized, Payton would be signing up for a second stint with the organization. He played 18 games with Phoenix during the 2017/18 season.
Payton started 63 games with the Knicks this past season but his production declined after the All-Star break and he was benched during the first-round playoff series against Atlanta. Payton averaged 10.1 PPG and 3.2 APG in 23.6 MPG during the regular season.
The Western Conference champions have reached agreements with their top two point guards, Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, so Payton would slot in as a third-stringer behind that duo if the two sides finalize a deal.
Bye, Good riddance!
Let’s go! We weren’t dumb enough to resign. Have fun Phoenix
PHX ran out of dumb bells in the weight room
I’m trying to think of a roster that Payton fits on and I just can’t, he’s kinda garbage
If you’re gonna call someone garbage u should obviously start with yourself
Lol dunk
Great pickup for James Jones & the Suns. EP definitely a big upgrade over Jevon Carter. May get alot of pt as both Paul & Payne both have durability issues
Crap. Suns fan. Didn’t like him last time. Do t want him back. Bad culture fit.
Jones’ first bad move that I can think of. Guess he’s not perfect.
Knicks fan’s love to hate this guy lol
Always said he was a solid backup. Didn’t really get his demise in second half last yr. He’s a solid defender. So he just gives them depth. Which is what they need.
Helps Suns …..
Payton was awful for PHX the last time… odd they would want him back. He is more evenhanded than Payne.
How much playing time will Payton even get in PHX probably not much. Whatever happened to Shumpet did he retire? He was a nice 3 and D guy.
Shump may as well be retired. I doubt he drags the fam through Europe and he has his music. In CLE, it was said that he complained a lot… No biggie, but the rep must have been enough to damage a non-starting career. HR still lists him among FAs because of some 10-days that led nowhere.
Name a backup point guard that shoots a lower 3pt %
They need another big man up front
There he goes again. Last year, my guy JJ put together a solid and deep group of minimum wagers at the back of his roster. Appears he’ll do it again this year. JJ has a background that might give him some insight into what such a group should look like.
Agreed. Moore and Galloway being good examples. The fact that everyone is flipping out over the third stringer is a hoot.