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NY Knicks: Re-visiting the 2019 free agent class one year later

By Andrew Pistone

SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 13: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks smiles during the game against the Sacramento Kings on December 13, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 13: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks smiles during the game against the Sacramento Kings on December 13, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Mar 8, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Elfrid Payton (6) dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

Elfrid Payton: 2 Years, $16 Million

Grade: B+

Commentary: Elfrid Payton is the type of player every coach and GM would’ve wanted…in 1997. He can get into the lane, setup teammates for good looks, facilitate an offense, and be a disruptive presence on the defensive end.

At the time, the signing was a bit of a head-scratcher for a team which already had Frank Ntilikina, and had just traded for Dennis Smith Jr. a few months earlier. Payton’s signing meant that the team didn’t fully trust handing over control of the team to Smith, but he actually proved to be a nice insurance policy for the squad.

Smith missed a lot of time in 2019-2020, only playing in one game from December 26th through January 26th, and he was either inactive or a DNP in the team’s final seven games before the NBA shutdown.

Starting towards the end of December through the rest of the season, Payton only missed 4 games, and averaged 29.5 minutes per contest, establishing himself as the primary ballhandler on the team.

However, here in 2020, it’s hard to play a guard with Payton’s lack of shooting ability for too long and still be successful, but if the players around him become more adept at finishing, it’s possible that his “fill in the blank” type of skill set could be more widely appreciated this year. The good thing is he knows what he isn’t: after the new year, Payton’s game high in three pointers attempted was three, which shows an awareness many players do not have about their own skill sets.

Of course, Payton’s presence on the roster is entirely up to the team, as they’ll need to decide whether to retain him for another year around the draft, which was pushed back to November 18th. A lot of that will depend on whether they pursue Chris Paul or Fred Van Vleet.

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