NBA Journeyman Finds Home With Knicks

New York Knicks reserve Cameron Payne is well-used to the in-game tribute video.

Having played for seven teams over a decade of NBA service, every other night as well be a homecoming for the 2015 first-rounder. He got another one on Wednesday when the visitors’ locker room at Footprint Center heralded his return, as well as that of Mikal Bridges, when the Knicks descended upon the desert to face the Phoenix Suns.

But Payne is making the most of his latest opportunity, handling the metropolitan depth scoring at a time where it’s relatively depleted: since returning from a hamstring issue that cost him four games, Payne is averaging 10.3 points in relief, most of it earned on a 53.3 percent success rate from three-point range.

“He brings energy,” point guard and captain Jalen Brunson lauded, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “He may play a lot. He may not play a lot. But his energy is always there and he’s a great teammate to have around and I hate to play against him. But honestly, having him as a teammate, he’s been amazing.”

It was hard to make an educated guess on Payne’s progress with the Knicks during the preseason: he was brought in amidst a relative logjam in the spots for minutes behind Brunson, faced with the prospect of wrestling with incumbents (Miles McBride) and newcomers (Tyler Kolek) alike.

But, with McBride out due to his own injury woes, Payne is making a lasting impression in the early going as New York is 5-1 when he posts a positive plus/minus. While the Knicks (9-6) have routinely struggled to find consistent bench scoring since dealing away the reliable Immanuel Quickley, Payne has stemmed the early bleeding.

“All the things that Cam has been through has helped him and he’s responded,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Popper. “Whatever adversity has come his way, he’s always found a way to get above it. Now he’s established himself as a really good player in this league. So he’s brought a lot to our team.”

Payne will likely continue to be the first man off the Knicks’ bench as long as McBride is out. A lengthy road trip continues on Saturdy against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City (5 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).

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