Spurs acquire Cameron Payne from the Phoenix Suns

Summer league is winding down, and the dog days of summer are finally upon us. It’s the perfect time for the San Antonio Spurs to make another move.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Spurs are trading a future second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Cameron Payne and a future second-round pick. The trade is San Antonio’s third this offseason.

Payne is entering his 9th season in the NBA, and comes off of three straight playoff runs with Phoenix. Last season he averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 assists on 42% shooting from the field and 37% from three. He primarily played a bench role for the Suns, playing around 20 minutes a night. Payne missed nearly half of the season with a foot injury.

Payne’s greatest strength is his ability to create his own looks off of the bounce. Per Synergy, he shot 42% on three pointers off the dribble, and scored 1.12 points per possession on dribble jumpers. At 6-foot-1, Payne is a league average defender who doesn’t create many turnovers.

With the addition of Payne, the Spurs now have 18 players players on their roster, not counting Sidy Cissoko whose contract situation has not been reported. Lamar Stevens is on a non-guaranteed contract that becomes guaranteed on Monday, July 17th. The Spurs can waive him before that date. Dominick Barlow is still a restricted free agent, who could be brought back on a two-way deal. NBA rosters must be cut down to 15 players and 3 two-way spots before the start of the season.

Payne is on a $6.5 million expiring contract, making him a valuable asset to contending teams. He, like Bullock and Osman, could be flipped for other assets this offseason or at the deadline next year, similar to Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson last season. With the acquisition of Payne, the Spurs have $5.2 million left in cap space.