76ers, Cam Payne Reportedly Agree to Contract, Updated Roster and Salary Cap for NBA Playoff Race
Veteran guard Cameron Payne is returning to the NBA and signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Payne is in the process of finalizing his exit from Partizan Belgrade, which will allow him to join the Sixers. He'll earn the prorated veteran's minimum for the remainder of the 2025-26 season:
Prior to the move, Philadelphia was just $3.8 million away from the first apron of the luxury tax.
Philadelphia 76ers 2025-26 Payroll
- Joel Embiid, C ($55,224,526)
- Paul George, SG ($51,666,090)
- Tyrese Maxey, PG ($37,958,760)
- VJ Edgecombe, SG ($11,108,880)
- Quentin Grimes, SG ($8,741,209)
- Kelly Oubre Jr., SF ($8,382,150)
- Andre Drummond, C ($5,000,000)
- Dominick Barlow, PF ($3,415,000)
- Trendon Watford, PF ($2,461,463)
- Kyle Lowry, PG ($2,296,274)
- Justin Edwards, SG (2,048,494)
- Adem Bona, C ($1,955,377)
- Johni Broome, C ($1,272,870)
Across his 10 years in the NBA, Payne has averaged 7.8 points and 3.2 assists per game. He's also a 41.9 percent shooter, including 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The 6'3" playmaker signed with Partizan in December and has played in 15 games between the Adriatic Basketball Association and EuroLeague.
Losing Payne in the middle of the season will obviously be costly for Partizan, but the club has the second-worst EuroLeague record (9-19). Any hopes of advancing to the playoffs are gone already.
The Sixers, meanwhile, will add some depth to the backcourt after having traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Payne is also a more natural backup to Tyrese Maxey at the point than Quentin Grimes, who's better suited on the wing.
Teams have limited options once the trade deadline is passed. Contending teams don't have a lot of cap flexibility, and the buyout market is often a mixed bag. There's usually a good reason why a notable veteran wasn't traded and subsequently got bought out.
Payne isn't a headline-grabbing addition for Philadelphia. He should nonetheless make an impact in the second half.
