The Kings are still shopping for a steady veteran hand to run their backcourt, and this week they're bringing two familiar names through the door. According to Jake Fischer, Sacramento will begin a series of veteran workouts by hosting Cam Payne, with Elfrid Payton also in the mix as another experienced ball-handler under consideration.
The Kings will begin a series of veteran workouts tomorrow by hosting Cam Payne, sources say. We’ve already reported Sacramento’s interest in Victor Oladipo. Another experienced ball handler the Kings are considering, per sources, is Elfrid Payton.
It's not just Payne and Payton. Fischer's report notes the Kings have already been connected to Victor Oladipo, and that interest reportedly runs both ways. Oladipo and Kings GM Scott Perry go back over a decade, to when Perry drafted him second overall in Orlando back in 2013, which helps explain why Sacramento keeps popping up around him this offseason.
Payne is coming off a bench role with the 76ers, where he appeared in 22 games last season averaging 7.4 points and 2.6 assists before Philadelphia waived him ahead of the playoffs. He's a 10-year veteran who's bounced around since Oklahoma City drafted him 14th overall in 2015, with his best stretch coming in Phoenix, where he stepped up big in the 2021 playoffs while Chris Paul battled injuries.
Payton brings a very different profile — a 10th overall pick back in 2014 who's logged nearly a decade in the league across Orlando, Phoenix, New York and New Orleans, averaging 10.0 points and 5.8 assists for his career. He spent last season bouncing on and off 10-day deals with the Pelicans before New Orleans declined his option in June, and he's currently on the roster of the Austin Spurs' G League affiliate — exactly the kind of guy who uses a workout like this to remind teams he can still run an offense.
None of this is a done deal for anybody. Workouts are auditions, not contracts, and the Kings are clearly casting a wide net before committing a roster spot to a veteran guard. But hosting three name-brand ball-handlers — Payne, Payton and Oladipo — in the same stretch tells you Sacramento sees a real need in that backcourt heading into the season, and it's not planning to leave it unaddressed.