Most NBA offseasons bring some form of change to NBA rosters. Whether it is a trade, a free agent coming in, or a free agent coming out, it is a part of the cycle of life in basketball. This offseason was no different for the Knicks, and one of those players poised to depart is Cameron Payne. While it might not seem like a massive loss for the Knicks, it could cause a hit to Karl-Anthony Towns' post-up game.
Payne is an unrestricted free agent, so there is still the possibility the Knicks try to bring the veteran guard back for the 2025-26 season.
The Knicks still have room on their roster to sign a player to the veteran minimum, which is likely all that Payne would command on the open roster. That said, it appears that the Knicks and Payne will ultimately part ways. Payne played himself out of the rotation in the playoffs last season, and there hasn't been much reporting suggesting a reunion is likely.
Payne was the Knicks best entry passer last season
The post-up is a dying skill in the NBA, and has become a smaller and smaller slice of teams' offensive pie over the last decade or so. That said, it is still a key element of Towns' offensive skill set.
Last season, Towns posted up the seventh-most in the league, according to league tracking data. On top of that, he was efficient in doing so, generating 1.12 points per direct post. It is incredibly valuable to have a player who can get a tough one-on-one bucket down low, and something the Knicks will rely on again next season.
The issue, potentially, is the departure of Payne. Last year, Payne averaged 5.25 post-entry and elbow-entry passes intended for Towns per 100 possessions, by far the highest on the Knicks. Furthermore, he completed over 98 percent of those passes, the best mark among any Knicks player who attempted at least 25 of those passes on the season.
Those numbers are significant. In terms of total entry passes, Payne attempted only six fewer than Jalen Brunson did on the entire season. To put that in perspective, Towns and Brunson shared the court in the regular season for over 1,460 minutes; Towns and Payne shared the floor for less than half of that.
It is something that the Knicks will ultimately have to address, if indeed Payne departs for a new team. The Knicks need Towns' post-up ability and have to find a way to get him the ball in optimal spots.