Knicks News: Elfrid Payton Agrees to 2-Year $16M Contract in Free Agency

Free-agent point guard Elfrid Payton agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New York Knicks on Monday, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.  

The 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft, the 25-year-old guard is coming off a noteworthy season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Payton opened his 2018-19 campaign with a triple-double, which would be a sign of things to come. He would go on to make history in March, becoming just the fifth player to record a triple-double in five consecutive games:

The final contest of that streak featured him going off for 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks on March 18:

He wound up averaging 10.6 points, 7.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds for the season. He was, however, limited to just 42 games because of injuries.

When asked about his future in April, Payton said he was open to remaining with the Pelicans.

"I would definitely love to be back [in New Orleans] if given the opportunity," Payton said, per Andrew Lopez of the Times-Picayune.

But after New Orleans acquired 2017 second overall pick Lonzo Ball in the Anthony Davis trade, Payton became expendable—and that led his move to New York.

The Knicks have added several intriguing pieces during free agency, although they missed out on the big stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Payton at least represents a high-upside option who could be part of the future if he lives up to expectations.

At the least, he will push Dennis Smith Jr. for playing time in the 2019-20 season.