Elfrid Payton, Pelicans Reportedly Agree on 1-Year Contract

Point guard Elfrid Payton agreed to a one-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The New Orleans native has never quite lived up to expectations since the Orlando Magic traded up to get him with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. In four seasons, he's averaged 11.2 points and 6.4 assists per game, but his poor perimeter shooting—he's a career 29.8 percent shooter from three—has severely limited his value.

The Magic decided to cut ties during the 2017-18 season after determining they were better with D.J. Augustin and Shelvin Mack on the court, trading him to the Phoenix Suns for a 2018 second-round pick.

Payton took over the starting point guard role in Phoenix and stayed close to his career averages, posting 11.8 points and 6.2 assists per game in 19 games.

Payton likely wasn't the long-term answer for the Suns, but letting him get away just months after giving up a draft pick to bring him aboard is surprising.

He now joins a Pelicans team that is coming off a run to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.