Former guard’s disastrous start proves 76ers were right to ditch him

While the Philadelphia 76ers are once again going through the nearly proverbial cycle of being hobbled to begin the season, few would have expected them to be one of the worst teams in the NBA at this juncture. Touting a 1-6 win-loss card through seven games, they have the worst record in the East and second-worst in the entire association, out-stunk only by Utah.

With the team still lacking a full armory, especially its vaunted big three, their free agency acquisitions have yet to pop out. They have been forced to play roles beyond what they can normally handle, and the results have not been great so far.

Having said that, it’s way too early to for the jury to put out a red-framed verdict on the 76ers with regard to their offseason moves. Reason for that is some players they let go have also struggled immensely this season, giving the front office some sense of relief along the way.

Former 76ers guard Cameron Payne has immensely struggled to begin the season

Former 76ers Cameron Payne, who spent the latter half of the 2023-24 season in Philly, has been abysmal so far this season. He passed up on re-signing with the team in free agency and instead, signed with the Knicks to the tune of a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal. New York is the seventh franchise he’s played for.

Unfortunately for him, his production has drastically waned to begin the current campaign. In just 15.4 minutes per outing, he’s tallied 5.6 points and 3.2 assists on a dismal 36.4 percent shooting overall, which includes a measly 26.7 percent conversion rate from three-point range.

In comparison, Payne was a productive backup for the 76ers in his short stint with the team, logging 9.3 points and 3.1 assists on 41.3 percent shooting overall and 38.7 percent shooting from downtown.

Payne, however, has never been an efficiency savant. Still, the 76ers were clearly right to ditch him in free agency, as his skill set is too unpredictable for him to be banked on as a bench fixture. That probably contributed to the team drafting Jared McCain and adding more cushion in the backcourt with Reggie Jackson. His off-court stuff surely didn’t help, either.

At this point, it’s difficult to give the Philadelphia 76ers flowers for whatever move they did given their current record, but at the very least and to their credit, Cameron Payne was a correct omission on their part.