Cameron Payne facts for kids
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Payne with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 8, 1994 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| High school | Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tennessee) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 183 lb (83 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Murray State (2013–2015) |
| NBA Draft | 2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall |
| Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Pro career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2015–2017 | →Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2017–2019 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2017–2018 | →Windy City Bulls |
| 2019 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2019–2020 | Shanxi Loongs |
| 2020 | Texas Legends |
| 2020–2023 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2023–2024 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2024 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2024–2025 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Cameron Payne (born August 8, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cameron played college basketball for Murray State. He was chosen as the 14th player overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015 NBA draft.
After playing two seasons with the Thunder, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2017. He played there for three seasons. Later, Payne played for the Cleveland Cavaliers on short-term contracts. He then went to play overseas for the Shanxi Loongs in China.
Payne returned to the NBA and joined the Phoenix Suns in 2020. He became a very important player for the team, helping them reach the NBA Finals in 2021. Since then, he has also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks.
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Cameron Payne's Early Basketball Journey
Cameron Payne went to Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew quite a bit during his high school years. He was 5 feet 5 inches tall as a freshman and grew to 6 feet 0 inches as a senior. Even though he led his school to a state title in 2013, not many college teams were looking to recruit him at first.
He was seen as a "three-star recruit," which means he was a good player but not one of the very top players in the country. However, William Small helped recruit him to play college basketball at Murray State. Cameron chose Murray State over a few other schools. He then went from being a less-known player to someone who might be picked early in the NBA draft.
Playing College Basketball at Murray State
As a freshman, Cameron Payne played really well. He averaged about 17 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. He had to start playing point guard right away because another player was injured. In his very first college game, he scored 21 points. He was named to the First-team All-OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) and was also named the Freshman of the Year for the conference.
In his second year, he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. He averaged over 20 points, 6 assists, and almost 4 rebounds per game. After his great sophomore season, Cameron decided to enter the NBA Draft.
Cameron Payne's Professional Basketball Career
Joining the Oklahoma City Thunder (2015–2017)
Before the NBA draft, Cameron Payne broke a finger on his non-shooting hand. Luckily, he did not need surgery. On June 25, 2015, the Oklahoma City Thunder picked him as the 14th player in the 2015 NBA draft. He signed his first NBA contract on July 10, 2015.
Cameron made his NBA debut on November 1, 2015. He played for four minutes and had three assists in a win against the Denver Nuggets. Sometimes, he was sent to play for the Oklahoma City Blue. This team is the Thunder's development league (D-League) affiliate, where players can get more playing time. On April 12, 2016, he scored a career-high 17 points and had seven assists in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
In July 2016, Cameron had surgery on his right foot. He recovered quickly and was ready for practice. However, in September, he hurt the same foot again. This meant he missed the first two months of the 2016–17 season. He returned to play in January 2017. On February 9, 2017, he scored a season-high 15 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2017–2019)
On February 23, 2017, Cameron Payne was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He was traded along with Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow. In return, the Thunder received Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, and a draft pick. During his time with the Bulls, Payne also played for the Windy City Bulls, which is the Bulls' development league team.
In September 2017, Cameron had another surgery on his right foot. He was expected to be out for three to four months. He made his season debut for the Bulls on February 22, 2018. On March 17, 2018, Cameron achieved his first "double-double" in the NBA. This means he had 13 points and a career-high 10 assists in one game. On March 23, 2018, he scored a career-high 17 points.
On October 24, 2018, Payne scored a new career-high of 21 points in a win against the Charlotte Hornets. He made 7 three-pointers in that game. On January 3, 2019, the Bulls decided to release him from the team.
Short Stays with Other Teams (2019–2020)
After leaving the Bulls, Cameron Payne signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 6, 2019. These are short-term contracts that allow teams to try out players. He signed a second 10-day contract but then left the Cavaliers.
On July 25, 2019, Payne signed with the Toronto Raptors, but he was released before the regular season started. On November 12, 2019, Cameron joined the Shanxi Loongs in China. He played in two games there, averaging 22.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. He was replaced on January 2, 2020.
On January 25, 2020, the Texas Legends in the NBA G-League acquired Cameron Payne. He played very well for them. In March 2020, he was named the NBA G-League Player of the Week. He averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 10.3 assists that week.
Finding Success with the Phoenix Suns (2020–2023)
On June 30, 2020, Cameron Payne signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns. He made his debut on July 31, 2020, in the special "NBA Bubble" in Florida. He scored 9 points and helped the Suns win against the Washington Wizards. On August 7, 2020, he scored a season-high 15 points. He repeated this high score later in a win against the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns won all eight of their games in the bubble, and Cameron had his best scoring and rebounding averages in the NBA yet.
After his successful time in the bubble, the Suns kept him for another season. In his second season with Phoenix, Cameron continued to play well coming off the bench. On January 6, 2021, he tied his career-high with 10 assists in only 16 minutes. On February 20, he scored a season-high 19 points. On March 4, Cameron recorded his second career double-double in the NBA, with 17 points and 10 assists.
On June 22, 2021, Cameron Payne had a career-high game in the Western Conference Finals. He scored 29 points, along with 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. This helped the Suns win a close game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Cameron helped the Suns reach the 2021 NBA Finals, but they lost the series to the Milwaukee Bucks.
On March 4, 2022, Payne set a new career-high with 16 assists. He also scored 17 points in a win against the New York Knicks. On November 16, 2022, he matched his career-high of 29 points in a win against the Golden State Warriors.
During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Cameron Payne scored a new career-high of 31 points. He was the leading scorer for the Suns in that game. However, the Suns lost the game and were eliminated from the playoffs.
Recent Teams (2023–Present)
On July 17, 2023, the Suns traded Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs. He was later released by the Spurs on September 11. On October 2, he signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
On February 8, 2024, Payne was traded again, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers. He made his debut for the 76ers on February 9, scoring 20 points and having 6 assists. On July 15, 2024, Cameron Payne signed with the New York Knicks. In a playoff game against the Detroit Pistons, he scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks win.
Cameron Payne's Basketball Statistics
Cameron Payne has played many games in the NBA and college. Here are some of his statistics:
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Oklahoma City | 57 | 1 | 12.2 | .410 | .324 | .792 | 1.5 | 1.9 | .6 | .1 | 5.0 |
| 2016–17 | Oklahoma City | 20 | 0 | 16.0 | .331 | .308 | 1.000 | 1.6 | 2.0 | .5 | .3 | 5.3 |
| Chicago | 11 | 0 | 12.9 | .333 | .324 | .250 | 1.5 | 1.4 | .4 | .0 | 4.9 | |
| 2017–18 | Chicago | 25 | 14 | 23.3 | .405 | .385 | .750 | 2.8 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .4 | 8.8 |
| 2018–19 | Chicago | 31 | 12 | 17.3 | .411 | .271 | .880 | 1.7 | 2.7 | .6 | .2 | 5.7 |
| Cleveland | 9 | 1 | 19.6 | .491 | .360 | .688 | 2.1 | 2.6 | .9 | .3 | 8.2 | |
| 2019–20 | Phoenix | 8 | 0 | 22.9 | .485 | .517 | .857 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 10.9 |
| 2020–21 | Phoenix | 60 | 1 | 18.0 | .484 | .440 | .893 | 2.4 | 3.6 | .6 | .3 | 8.4 |
| 2021–22 | Phoenix | 58 | 12 | 22.0 | .409 | .336 | .843 | 3.0 | 4.9 | .7 | .3 | 10.8 |
| 2022–23 | Phoenix | 48 | 15 | 20.2 | .415 | .368 | .766 | 2.2 | 4.5 | .7 | .2 | 10.3 |
| 2023–24 | Milwaukee | 47 | 2 | 14.9 | .455 | .397 | .841 | 1.3 | 2.3 | .5 | .1 | 6.2 |
| Philadelphia | 31 | 8 | 19.4 | .413 | .382 | .913 | 1.8 | 3.1 | .6 | .3 | 9.3 | |
| 2024–25 | New York | 72 | 5 | 15.1 | .401 | .363 | .907 | 1.4 | 2.8 | .5 | .2 | 6.9 |
| Career | 477 | 71 | 17.5 | .419 | .368 | .836 | 2.0 | 3.2 | .6 | .2 | 7.8 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Oklahoma City | 10 | 0 | 6.4 | .269 | .200 | .500 | .4 | .8 | .2 | .2 | 1.8 |
| 2017 | Chicago | 1 | 0 | 4.2 | .500 | 1.000 | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | Phoenix | 22 | 2 | 19.0 | .425 | .362 | .889 | 2.5 | 3.2 | .8 | .5 | 9.3 |
| 2022 | Phoenix | 13 | 0 | 13.2 | .297 | .167 | .833 | 1.5 | 2.1 | .5 | .1 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | Phoenix | 7 | 4 | 21.8 | .479 | .407 | .000 | 2.0 | 2.9 | .4 | .3 | 8.1 |
| 2024 | Philadelphia | 5 | 0 | 12.2 | .400 | .444 | — | 1.2 | 1.4 | .2 | .8 | 5.6 |
| 2025 | New York | 14 | 0 | 7.3 | .324 | .238 | .333 | .6 | .6 | .4 | .1 | 2.1 |
| Career | 72 | 6 | 13.5 | .388 | .324 | .706 | 1.5 | 2.0 | .5 | .3 | 5.5 | |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Murray State | 34 | 34 | 32.7 | .404 | .341 | .774 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 1.7 | .6 | 16.8 |
| 2014–15 | Murray State | 35 | 35 | 32.2 | .456 | .377 | .787 | 3.7 | 6.0 | 1.9 | .5 | 20.2 |
| Career | 69 | 69 | 32.4 | .432 | .359 | .781 | 3.7 | 5.7 | 1.8 | .5 | 18.5 | |
Cameron Payne's Personal Life
Cameron's father, Tony Payne, used to be a youth basketball coach. Both his father and mother, Leshawn Payne, were very helpful to Cameron. They supported him when he returned to the NBA after playing in China and the NBA G League.
Images for kids
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Cameron Payne with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Cameron Payne para niños
