With the Philadelphia 76ers in dire need of a backup point guard, the front office found a quick fix in the form of Cameron Payne, who has reportedly been signed by the team for the rest of the season. The veteran has been one of the more serviceable backup guards in the league for quite some time now, so this is definitely not a move people should pout about.
Having said that, settling for Payne — who has been out of the NBA this season — feels like the 76ers jumping the gun a tad too early. No disrespect to the veteran, but the buyout market is expected to have even better options in the coming days and weeks. This may eventually end up being a signing they will regret.
Since trading Jared McCain, the 76ers have had a complete dearth of backup point guards. Quentin Grimes and to an extent, Trendon Watford, have been deployed as the nominal playmakers off the bench, but that is clearly not a sustainable design as the team approaches a critical stretch run to get into better positioning in the playoff race out East.
The 76ers could regret signing Cam Payne with better options expected
Given how the market shaped up after the trade deadline, a handful of guards better than Payne are projected to become available for taking as buyout signees.
One example is D’Angelo Russell. Packaged together with Anthony Davis in the shocking trade that ended the latter’s unceremonious tenure in Dallas, the Wizards have already stated that the former All-Star guard will not be reporting to the tea. Despite his clear flaws, he is still a talented shot creator who can quickly get hot.
Another is Russell Westbrook. Sacramento has been one of the absolute worst teams in the league this season, and it is only a matter of time until they part ways with the former league MVP to give more opportunities to their younger players. He has been more reliable than expected this season, and his all-around production would have been much welcome in Philly.
Splashier signings are not always the better option, but in this case, the 76ers probably would have been better had they exercised a tad more patience. Cam Payne is serviceable, no doubt, but given his lack of mileage in the league this season, it’s tough to envision the coaching staff trusting him that much.