Phoenix Suns: Grading Each Free Agency Move Thus Far
By Karan Jain
Phoenix Suns Offseason Move: Re-signing Cameron Payne
During Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Cameron Payne came off the bench to score a quick 10 points in 10 minutes. After Phoenix went on to lose the contest, and consequently end their season, most fans feared that they just watched Payne provide his last spark for the Suns, set to become a free agent down the road.
But much to everyone’s surprise, the Suns re-secured Payne with a real bargain deal, paying him $19 million over three years. Shortly after the news broke, Payne added his own exclamation point to it, reassuring his commitment to winning with the Suns on Twitter.
Man what y’all thought! #Valleyboy🏜
— Cameron Payne (@campayne) August 2, 2021
Payne just finished off an extremely successful season where proved himself as a top tier NBA guard off the bench. For his 2021 campaign, he averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 44.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Payne even illustrated his potential ability to one day serve as a starter while deputising for Chris Paul. This took place especially in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, where Payne scored 29 points while dishing out nine assists as Paul quarantined following a COVID-19 diagnosis.
All this presented Payne with a solid opportunity to ask for nearly $10 million a year, so him instead signing him to a deal like this feels like an all too early Christmas gift for the Suns. Additionally, it indicates Payne’s loyalty to the franchise who took a chance on him when no-one else did, making him that much easier to root for.