Basketball
Knicks signing former NBA Finals piece
![Knicks signing former NBA Finals piece Knicks signing former NBA Finals piece](https://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tom-thibodeau.jpg)
Oct 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Knicks are adding to their stable of point guards.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Knicks are signing veteran guard Cam Payne in free agency. They are giving Payne a one-year contract worth $3.1 million, Charania adds.
Payne, 29, is a former lottery pick who has played for six other teams in his NBA career thus far. He also was the sixth man on the Phoenix Suns team that made it to the 2021 NBA Finals. With career averages of 7.9 points and 3.3 assists per game, Payne works well off the dribble, using his speed to get to the rim and his shiftiness to create separation for three-pointers (which he hit at a 39.0 percent clip last season).
The Knicks will rely on Payne and Miles McBride to be the backup point guards behind All-Star Jalen Brunson next season (with both bench players also having the ability to play some shooting guard). Payne especially will be motivated to perform after recently making headlines this summer thanks to a bizarre arrest.