On Monday, the New York Knicks made a surprise move when they signed Cam Payne to a one-year, minimum deal. The 29-year-old point guard spent the 2023-24 season with the Bucks (47 games) and the Sixers (31 games).
SNY's Ian Begley reported that Payne's playoff experience is part of what interested New York. It's a bonus that he and Mikal Bridges played together in Phoenix.
Soon after Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Payne signing, Knicks fans started to panic about Miles McBride. If New York has McBride as the backup point guard, why bring in Payne? The thought of a McBride trade became real.
Begley tweeted that he doesn't think bringing in Payne means the Knicks don't value McBride.
One note on Miles McBride: I don't think Knicks signing Cam Payne is a direct reflection of how they view McBride. They had no interest in including McBride in Mikal Bridges deal & have said this offseason that they view McBride as an off-ball guard who can also handle the ball
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 15, 2024
Fred Katz of The Athletic took things a step further in his latest piece when he wrote that Payne may not start the season in Tom Thibodeau's rotation (subscription required).
"He may not be in the rotation to begin the season, especially if the group elects to roll with a conventional backup center. The Knicks already have Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and McBride as reserves. Add in a big man, and that’s Thibodeau’s nine-man rotation."Fred Katz, The Athletic
What role will Cam Payne play with Knicks in 2024-25?
Last December, the Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors as part of the OG Anunoby deal. Before the trade deadline, New York acquired Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic, partly hoping that Burks would help fill the void left by Quickley. Instead, the opposite happened. Burks was forced out of the rotation because of his poor play.
New York traded up in the 2024 NBA Draft for Tyler Kolek, who has impressed at Summer League. Katz wrote that the Payne signing also takes pressure off Kolek.
"This organization does not love entering the season with a rookie, especially a second-rounder, forced into its rotation."Fred Katz, The Athletic
Last season, the Knicks dealt with one unlucky injury after another. New York still needs to address its frontcourt depth with another backup center, but signing Payne for a veteran's minimum deal was smart. He has experience and can step in when needed, whether because of injuries or not.
McBride is coming off the best season of his young career. He averaged 8.3 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game, shooting 45.2% from the field and 41% from three. He looked way more comfortable on the offensive end.
There was some chatter about the Knicks including McBride in the Bridges trade, but they didn't want to give him up. The front office (and Thibodeau) like McBride. He's on a great contract.
While anything can happen, it's clear that New York didn't sign Payne because a McBride trade is in the works.