With training camp right around the corner for a handful of NBA teams, including the Phoenix Suns, it is surprising that point guard Cameron Payne remains unsigned.
Former Suns guard capable of backup role off the bench
Suns fans are all too aware of how streaky a player he can be, but when his strange shot is falling (and he never lacked confidence letting it fly), the court opens up for Payne. He was a nice weapon off the bench for small bursts at a time.
With the likes of Russell Westbrook calling it a career and the Sacramento Kings seemingly in need of a veteran presence around Darius Acuff Jr., Payne would appear to make a lot of sense. He last played for the Philadelphia 76ers, and they could do worse than have him come off the bench for 12 minutes a night on what is already a veteran-heavy team.
As nice as it would be to see him get one more shot in the league, the opportunity to do so with the Suns has come and gone. Perhaps when Kevin Durant was in town, that would have made sense (not that it would have changed his opinion of his time there), but the Suns have no use for him anymore.
Suns' next point guard could come from within
They continue to run with the tandem of Devin Booker and Jalen Green - even if his minutes are going to take a dip - despite there being clear fit issues. Neither is a true point guard, and although Payne would solve that problem, he is not on the level of Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, or even Jamaree Bouyea.
The fact that the trio is all fighting for a bigger role and to potentially start in The Valley means Payne would have no shot at minutes.
Bouyea is everything Payne would have been for Suns
Pat Spencer was an excellent offseason addition on a two-way contract and is going to push hard for a bigger role himself. He also joins a crowded backcourt, but Bouyea is the player the Suns now have on their roster who erases the need to consider Payne.
He is younger, a better defender, and works brilliantly in tandem with Goodwin in a way that Payne simply could not. Although not as good a 3-point shooter, he is a more well-rounded two-way guard who does not get picked on defensively.
It's looking like it might be over for Payne in the NBA, but we'll always have the 2021 NBA Finals.
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