Feb. 17, 2026, 6:03 p.m. ET
The Philadelphia 76ers added to their guard depth over the All-Star break by bringing back a familiar face in the form of Cam Payne. The Sixers acquired Payne from the Milwaukee Bucks at the 2024 deadline and he averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 assists in 31 games with Philadelphia down the stretch.
Payne then left for the New York Knicks in the offseason and averaged 6.9 points in 72 games for the Knicks. He helped them make the Eastern Conference finals before he left for the Indiana Pacers. He was released after the preseason and decided to go play overseas which led to him returning to the Sixers.
It’s obvious that Payne made an impact on the Knicks as his former teammate, Josh Hart, took to Twitter and gave his reaction to Payne returning to the league.
Payne will shore up the guard depth behind Tyrese Maxey and give the Sixers a reliable player in the backcourt. He is somebody who can shoot it a bit and give Philadelphia some reliable ball-handling as well.
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