Elfrid Payton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Re-Sign Elfrid Payton To Two-Year Deal

April 11th, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Rory Maher

2:50pm: Payton signed a two-year deal with the Pelicans, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). We’ll have to wait for more details on Payton’s new contract, but it seems unlikely to feature guaranteed money for 2025/26.

2:06pm: The Pelicans have re-signed veteran point guard Elfrid Payton to a standard contract, per a team press release.

Payton’s second 10-day contract with New Orleans was set to expire overnight on Friday. Instead of waiting for that to happen, it seems like the Pelicans decided to terminate the deal a day early to bring him back on a new contract, which will enable Payton to play in Sunday’s season finale vs. Oklahoma City.

A nine-year veteran, Payton had been playing in the G League for the past two seasons until the Pelicans gave him NBA another opportunity in the fall. He was released after a couple of weeks, later signing a pair of 10-day hardship contracts with Charlotte in February.

New Orleans initially brought Payton back in March on a 10-day, with his second 10-day deal officially being signed on April 2. Teams are not permitted to sign players to three 10-day contracts, hence Payton’s latest agreement with New Orleans.

Payton, who is from Louisiana and played college ball for the Ragin’ Cajuns, has really struggled to score in 2024/25, averaging 3.5 points and shooting just 33.9% from the field in his 22 games this season with the Hornets and Pelicans. He has missed all five of his three-point attempts and converted four of his seven free throw tries (57.1%).

However, the 31-year-old has been productive in other areas, including four straight games with 10-plus assists. Overall, he’s averaging 6.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.1 minutes per contest.

The Pelicans had been carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts, so they didn’t have to waive anyone to add Payton. Kylor Kelley is also on the roster for now on a 10-day deal because New Orleans qualifies for a hardship exception.

Pelicans Sign Elfrid Payton To Second 10-Day Contract

April 2nd, 2025 at 3:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

April 2: Payton has officially signed his second 10-day contract with the Pelicans, the team announced today in a press release.

March 31: Elfrid Payton will get a second 10-day deal with the Pelicans, agent Darrell Comer of CSE tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 31-year-old point guard appeared in four games for New Orleans during his first 10-day contract, which expired on Sunday. He moved into a regular rotation role off the bench and handed out 14, 10, and six assists in his last three outings.

Payton also spent time with the Pelicans in November and December on a non-guaranteed contract, and he signed a pair of 10-day deals with Charlotte in February. In 17 total games this season, he’s averaging 3.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 20.4 minutes per night with .348/.352/.333 shooting numbers.

The Pelicans will have a full 15-man roster again once the contract becomes official. Payton will earn a $171,756 salary on his new deal, just as he did on his other 10-day contracts. New Orleans will incur a cap charge of $119,972.

The Pelicans don’t play again until Wednesday, so it’s possible that Payton’s contract won’t be finalized until then. If that happens, he would be eligible to appear in six games before it expires at the end of the day on April 11. If the team wants to keep him on the roster for its April 13 finale, he’ll have to be signed to a standard deal.

Western Notes: Curry, K. Jones, Payton, Mitchell, Jazz

March 27th, 2025 at 7:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is optimistic that Stephen Curry will return from his pelvic contusion on Friday in New Orleans, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

According to Slater, Curry took part in a six-minute scrimmage followed by an individual workout on Thursday. The two-time MVP, who has missed the past two games, will be listed as questionable for Friday’s contest. Curry sustained the injury on March 20 after a hard fall against Toronto.

Here are a few more notes from the Western Conference:

Mavericks center Kai Jones had an impressive block on Franz Wagner in the first quarter of Thursday’s game in Orlando and immediately followed it up with an alley-oop dunk off an assist from Naji Marshall (Twitter video link via Christian Clark of The Athletic). Unfortunately, Jones was unable to brace himself after the dunk and had a scary-looking fall, with all of his weight landing on his left hip. The Mavericks later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest with a left hip contusion (Twitter link). Jones, who is on a two-way deal with Dallas, has started each of his past four games and played well over that span. He recently missed seven games with a left quad strain.
Veteran guard Elfrid Payton, who is on a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, shined in Monday’s victory over Philadelphia, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. The Louisiana native finished with six points, six rebounds, 14 assists and was plus-14 in 25 minutes off the bench. “It felt good,” Payton said. “Felt like I was at home again. I love being here. This is the best thing ever.”
Star guard Donovan Mitchell recently returned to Utah to face the Jazz for just the second time since he was traded to Cleveland in the 2022 offseason. While in town, he reflected on his Jazz tenure, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link). “I think we had our opportunity. We had a lot of windows. I think we had our opportunity, we just missed it,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s just one of those things, we had plenty of opportunities to get things done. We had injuries that one year. The last year we were together, you know, we just didn’t capitalize. Sometimes you just miss your window. I talk about it with my friends a lot, we’re comparing this team we have now versus the first place team we had here (in Utah). I’ve gotten to a point that is like, ‘It’s okay,‘ We did a lot of positive things.”

Pelicans Sign Elfrid Payton To 10-Day Contract

March 21st, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Rory Maher

10:35am: Payton’s 10-day contract is now official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release. He is eligible to play in five games over the next 10 days.

9:30am: The Pelicans intend to sign free agent guard Elfrid Payton to a 10-day contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

A Louisiana native who played college ball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Payton appeared in seven games with the Pelicans in the fall on a non-guaranteed deal. In one of those games, he recorded a career-best 21 assists. He was released in early December.

Payton, 31, signed a pair of 10-day hardship contracts with Charlotte last month. He struggled to make an impact in his six games with the Hornets, only scoring six points on 3-of-21 shooting (14.3%) in 123 total minutes.

Prior to 2024/25, it had been two full seasons since Payton had appeared in an NBA game, last suiting up for Phoenix in ’21/22. He has spent time in the G League over the past three campaigns, including playing for the Pelicans’ affiliate — the Birmingham Squadron — in ’24/25.

In 13 total games with New Orleans and Charlotte this season, Payton has averaged 4.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes per contest. He has converted 38.8% of his field goal attempts, including missing his only three-pointer, and split his two free throws.

Mohamed Bamba‘s 10-day contract with the Pelicans recently expired, creating an opening on the team’s standard roster. It’s possible the Pelicans might be able to bring back Bamba while adding Payton — they could qualify for a hardship exception due to the injuries to Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and Brandon Boston. Boston’s injury, a left ankle stress reaction, is the only one of the four that might not be season-ending — he’ll be reevaluated today.

Payton will earn a $171,756 salary on his new 10-day contract, while New Orleans carries a cap charge of $119,972.

Hornets Sign Malachi Flynn To 10-Day Deal

March 1st, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Arthur Hill

March 1: Flynn’s 10-day deal with the Hornets is now official, according to the team (Twitter link).

February 28: Malachi Flynn will join the Hornets on a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 26-year-old point guard was in training camp with San Antonio after signing an Exhibit 10 deal in August. He was waived before the start of the season and has been playing for the Spurs’ G League affiliate in Austin, where he’s averaging 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 18 regular season games.

Flynn will take the place of Elfrid Payton, whose second 10-day contract expired on Thursday, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Payton was signed with a hardship exception that remains in effect due to long-term injuries affecting Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Josh Okogie.

Payton appeared in six games for the Hornets, making two starts and posting 1.0 point, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 20.5 minutes per night.

Charlotte will be Flynn’s fourth team in the past two seasons once his contract becomes official. He was selected by Toronto with the 29th pick in the 2020 draft and spent three and a half years with the Raptors before being sent to New York as part of the OG Anunoby deal. The Knicks shipped him to Detroit at last February’s trade deadline.

Flynn has appeared in 213 games through his first four NBA seasons, averaging 5.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 14.2 minutes per night. His standout moment came last April when he scored 50 points off the bench for Detroit.

Assuming he’s signed before Saturday’s meeting with Washington, Flynn will be available for five games during the 10-day contract. He will be eligible to sign one more 10-day deal with Charlotte once this one expires.

Hornets Sign Elfrid Payton To Second 10-Day Deal

February 18th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

1:02 pm: Payton’s new 10-day contract is now official, the Hornets confirmed in a press release. It will run through next Thursday (Feb. 27).

12:45 pm: Following the expiration of his first 10-day contract with the Hornets earlier this week, veteran point guard Elfrid Payton has agreed to a second 10-day deal with the team, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Charlotte is short on point guard depth after having traded Vasilije Micic to Phoenix at this month’s deadline. Tre Mann has been out for most of the season due to a back injury and LaMelo Ball has been in and out of the lineup due to ankle issues.

A former No. 10 overall pick, Payton appeared in two games for the Hornets during his first 10 days with the team, averaging 2.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per night. He had a stint with another banged-up team – New Orleans – earlier this season and put up 6.7 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 3.4 RPG in seven outings (20.6 MPG) for the Pelicans.

The Hornets have a full 15-man standard roster, but won’t need to waive anyone to open up a spot for Payton because they qualify for a hardship exception due to longer-term injuries affecting Mann, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Josh Okogie. That exception allows them to temporarily go beyond the usual roster limit.

Payton will earn a $171,756 salary on his new 10-day contract, while Charlotte carries a cap charge of $119,972. The Hornets have a busy schedule coming up in the next 10 days, including multiple back-to-back sets, so the 30-year-old will be available for up to six games if he officially signs on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Once Payton’s second 10-day deal expires, he won’t be eligible to sign a third one with the Hornets.

Hornets Sign Elfrid Payton To 10-Day Deal

February 7th, 2025 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Maher

12:50pm: Payton’s 10-day contract is now official, according to the Hornets. He was signed via the hardship exception, confirms Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

7:46am: The Hornets have agreed to sign free agent guard Elfrid Payton to a 10-day contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Payton, who had been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, caught on with the Pelicans in November on a non-guaranteed contract and was one of the feel-good stories of the fall.

The Louisiana native, who played in Puerto Rico and the G League while trying to make his NBA comeback, immediately jumped into the starting lineup for his hometown team and posted a 14-point, 21-assist, seven-rebound line in his third game back.

However, the former lottery pick (10th overall in 2014) was cut loose by the Pelicans in early December after the team started to get a little healthier. New Orleans was also concerned about its proximity to the luxury tax, which the franchise has never paid and wound up dipping below prior to yesterday’s trade deadline.

Payton, who turns 31 years old later this month, averaged 6.7 points, 6.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in seven games with the Pels (20.3 minutes per contest), shooting 50.0% from the floor in his time with the team.

Payton also appeared in 14 NBA G League games this season with New Orleans’ affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, averaging 7.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.0 minutes. His shooting slash line was just .380/.190/.250.

While Payton has been a solid rebounder and play-maker throughout his NBA, he’s never been much of a shooter, with career marks of 28.7% from three-point range and 62.3% from the charity stripe. But the Hornets have a need for a backup point guard — they traded Vasilije Micic to Phoenix, and LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Tre Mann (back) are currently injured.

The Hornets were involved in multiple trades leading up to the deadline, but they did not create any roster openings, as their 15-man standard roster is currently full.

Charlotte shouldn’t need to release anyone to add Payton though — he could be signed using the hardship exception. Brandon Miller (shoulder surgery) and Grant Williams (torn ACL) are out for the season, Mann hasn’t played since November, and Josh Okogie is out at least a couple more weeks due to a hamstring strain.

Pelicans Waive Elfrid Payton

December 3rd, 2024 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

4:20pm: The Pelicans have officially waived Payton, the team announced in a press release.

4:00pm: The Pelicans are waiving veteran guard Elfrid Payton, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Payton, who had been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, caught on with the Pelicans last month on a non-guaranteed contract and was one of the feel-good stories of the fall.

The Louisiana native, who played in Puerto Rico and the G League while trying to make his NBA comeback, immediately jumped into the starting lineup for his hometown team and posted a 14-point, 21-assist, seven-rebound line in his third game back.

However, the Pelicans have been getting healthier, with both Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum recently returning to the team’s backcourt, which resulted in a reduced role for Payton. He logged just six minutes in Monday’s loss to Atlanta.

New Orleans should be getting a couple more players back this week, with Shams Charania of ESPN reporting on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link) that Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones appear on track to play Thursday.

The Pelicans are operating slightly over the luxury tax line and have no desire to be a taxpayer this season, so there’s certainly a financial reason involved in the decision to waive Payton. Leaving that 15th roster spot open for the time being would reduce New Orleans’ projected tax bill and make it easier for the team to duck out of tax territory with a trade later in the season.

Payton’s 14 days on the Pelicans’ roster and two days on waivers will result in a cap charge of $274,809 for New Orleans, assuming he clears waivers. As Bobby Marks tweets, the team will be about $1.4MM above the tax line and $3.8MM below the first apron after jettisoning Payton.

Pelicans Notes: Payton, Missi, Green, Ingram

November 30th, 2024 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Elfrid Payton posted one of the most impressive lines of the season on Monday as he celebrates his return to the NBA. He was gone from the league for more than two full years before the Pelicans gave him a chance amid a rash of injuries. Playing on a non-guaranteed contract, Payton had 21 assists, 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals against Indiana.

Payton’s journey back to the NBA took 920 days after he became a free agent following the 2021/22 season. It meant playing in Puerto Rico and the G League, but Payton tells Will Guillory of The Athletic that he never gave up hope.

“It’s tough when you feel like you can still play but you have to wait for the opportunity,” he said. “It really forces you to show how much you love the game, how much you’re willing to put into it. I just kept believing that day would come.”

Payton grew up in New Orleans, played one prior season with the Pelicans and maintained a relationship with the team while he was out of the league. Guillory states that the Pelicans considered signing him earlier in the season, but he felt tightness in his hamstring after a workout and an MRI showed that he had a slight strain that would necessitate several weeks of rehab. Although he was frustrated by the news, Payton was willing to wait a little longer for his dream.

“I believed the opportunity would come,” he said. “It was longer than I thought or expected, but that ain’t the point. … (There were) some days when I felt like all the work was for nothing. But I had to find ways to keep going. If you really have a passion for the game and a love for the game, you’ve got to find a way to push through.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

Yves Missi already looks like one of the best big men in this year’s draft class, averaging 8.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his first 19 NBA games. In an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda, Missi talked about making the adjustment from college. “The NBA is more about trusting my instincts,” he said. “Whenever I feel like I can go for a block, I trust my teammates to have my back and just go for it. It’s about trusting the system while relying on my instincts.”
The Pelicans expected to be contenders coming into the season, but they’ll finish up November last in the Western Conference with a 4-16 record, notes Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times- Picayune. Friday’s loss to Memphis was their seventh straight, but at least they were more competitive than in Wednesday’s blowout against Toronto. Coach Willie Green said he challenged his players after that performance. “We allowed a team to come on our home floor and really make us look soft,” he said. “That’s what I told our group. That can’t happen.”
Brandon Ingram has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game at New York, marking his fourth straight absence with a strained right calf, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Murray, Payton, Aldama, Tate

November 27th, 2024 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After a report earlier in the week stated that Dejounte Murray was targeting Wednesday for his return from a fractured hand, the Pelicans confirmed it today, announcing (via Twitter) that the team’s most significant offseason addition will be available to play vs. Toronto.

As Will Guillory of The Athletic writes, New Orleans prioritized Murray over the summer because the team wanted to add a true floor general, something the roster had lacked in recent years. Although Murray struggled to score efficiently in his first and only regular season game with the Pelicans last month, making just 4-of-15 shots from the field, he racked up 10 assists and the offense had a more “natural order” when he was running the show, according to Guillory.

While the Pelicans have been missing several players in recent weeks due to injuries, getting a play-maker like Murray back represents a crucial step toward establishing an identity and improving an offense that ranks 27th in the NBA with a 106.8 offensive rating.

“It’s contagious,” head coach Willie Green said. “When you have guys like that who are willing to get off the basketball — they’re looking to get you quality looks — guys are running more. They’re cutting more. Now, they’re sharing the ball because there’s a standard that’s been set.”

We have more from around the Southwest:

With Murray unavailable, point guard Elfrid Payton has started the past three games for the Pelicans after signing a non-guaranteed contract a week ago. It had been two-and-a-half years since Payton last played in a regular season NBA game, but he has been impressive — New Orleans has been better with him on the court than off it in all three games and he handed out a career-high 21 assists on Monday in Indiana. Christian Clark of NOLA.com has the story on Payton’s huge night on Monday, while Rod Walker of NOLA.com takes a look at how the Lousiana native has stepped up for his hometown team.
Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama didn’t reach an agreement on a rookie scale extension prior to this season and is now on track to reach restricted free agency in 2025. Speaking to Nacho Duque of Marca, Aldama – who is averaging a career-best 12.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game – said he’s making an effort not to play “selfish” basketball in his contract year and hopes to work out a new deal with the Grizzlies next summer. “Memphis is my home,” he said. “I feel like we have a very good relationship, and I hope it lasts for many more years.”
Kelly Iko and Danny Leroux of The Athletic take a look at where three Southwest teams – the Rockets, Spurs, and Grizzlies – stand from a salary cap perspective. Within the story, Iko reports that “a few teams” have inquired this season about the availability of veteran Houston forward Jae’Sean Tate, who is on an expiring $7.56MM contract and has fallen out of the club’s rotation due to the emergence of other players. According to Iko, the Rockets would be seeking second-round draft capital in return for Tate.