When the Philadelphia 76ers front office took matters into their own hands and made a bold decision by trading Jared McCain before the deadline, everyone expected them to have a sensible follow-up to patch up the void he was leaving. Instead, not only was their response belated, it was perhaps even the most underwhelming way to replace the sophomore guard.
As reported, the 76ers have signed veteran guard Cameron Payne to a deal for the rest of the season, effectively filling in for the spot left by McCain on the second unit. Philly even endeavored to buy out his current deal with Partizan Belgrade, which cost them $1.75 million, just to bring him into the fold. Clearly, the team was very deliberate in having Payne come in, and that very fact has been the source of comedic relief for a lot of NBA fans.
That is probably the appropriate response when you take into account the fact that Daryl Morey himself said that the 76ers brain trust pulled the trigger on the McCain trade as a preparatory deal for another shake-up. They obviously failed in that regard, so Payne being the final product is most certainly an off-putting development.
76ers get trolled for signing Cam Payne after trading Jared McCain
Let this be clear — the 76ers did not make a mistake when they traded McCain. After all, they got an ideal return for him given his current stature as a struggling sophomore who is coming off two major injuries just in his first year.
It is the fact that the response from the front office is signing Payne that merits a collective shrug from fans and pundits alike. First, the buyout market is expected to have some more established and proven names at point guard. Second, it’s Payne. The man was not even rostered this season, yet the 76ers sought a reunion with him (yes, he did play for the 76ers in the latter half of the 2023-24 campaign).
While packaged as a point guard, Payne is more of a combo guard who has much more acuity as a play finisher than as an initiator. Sure, he might pass as a temporary depth piece, but to deem him as someone who can effectuate a topsy-turvy for the 76ers on the playmaking department would be a reach.
The fact that the 76ers front office could not even get to sign a more talented player tells everything one needs to know about their lack of a real plan after trading McCain. That is really the only part where the screwed up in that regard — and this move only proves it.