Elfrid Payton Ruled out vs. Cavaliers with Hamstring Injury

Orlando Magic point guard Elfrid Payton will miss Saturday's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena because of a hamstring injury.

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel provided the status update.

John Denton of the team's official website reported Payton's MRI showed "mild to moderate" damage and that he could miss several games.

Payton played 15 first-half minutes in the team's 126-121 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night before being forced to exit with the hamstring issue. It's unclear how long he'll remain sidelined.

At the time, Denton wrote the "injury was severe enough to rule him out before the start of the second half, suggesting that he could be out for an extended period of time."

The 23-year-old Louisiana–Lafayette product showcased steady progress across his first three seasons in the NBA. He averaged 12.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals while playing in all 82 of Orlando's regular-season games during the 2016-17 campaign.

D.J. Augustin figures to fill the void in the starting lineup. Shelvin Mack and Arron Afflalo could also see more playing time as part of the backcourt rotation.

Payton's next chance to return will come Tuesday night when the Magic welcome the Nets to the Amway Center for an early-season rematch.

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