May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) warms up before game five against the Indiana Pacers in the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Ex-Knicks Vet Cam Payne is Gaining Interest Beyond NBA

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 3:19 PM ET

Cam Payne’s time with the Indiana Pacers was very short-lived.

He signed with the team late into training camp after they cut ties with an injured guard. Payne came in as a replacement and tried to crack the final roster.

Fast forward one week, and the Payne is on the NBA free agency market, reportedly entertaining offers beyond the NBA. According to Marc Stein, a Serbian club has taken an interest in Payne.

via @TheSteinLine: Serbia's Partizan Belgrade has emerged as a serious suitor for veteran guard Cam Payne, @TheSteinLine has learned. Payne went to training camp with Indiana and is the latest established NBA name pursued by a @EuroLeague club in the wake of an injury to Partizan's Carlik Jones.

Serbia's Partizan Belgrade has emerged as a serious suitor for veteran guard Cam Payne, @TheSteinLine has learned.

Payne went to training camp with Indiana and is the latest established NBA name pursued by a @EuroLeague club in the wake of an injury to Partizan's Carlik Jones. https://t.co/NQBo8T3DXs
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 24, 2025

Payne is just one of the latest NBA veterans to garner interest from an overseas squad.

On Thursday, the longtime shooting guard Spencer Dinwiddie inked a deal to join FC Bayern Munich in Germany. He last played for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024-2025 season and spent this past offseason with the Charlotte Hornets.

Payne, 31, has been in the NBA since 2015. At the time, he wrapped up a run at Murray State and landed on the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 14th overall pick.

Payne spent under two seasons with the team that drafted him. During the 2016-2017 season, he joined the Chicago Bulls for what became a three-season stint. Amid his third season with the Bulls, Payne was moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

When Payne hit the free agency market in 2020, he inked a deal with the Phoenix Suns. Four seasons later, Payne was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks during the final season of his contract. Midway through that run, Payne was moved to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he saw the court for 31 games.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Last season, Payne played for the New York Knicks. He appeared in 72 games, averaging 15.1 minutes on the court. The veteran guard shot 40 percent from the field and knocked down 36 percent of his threes. He produced 6.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.

It seems there is still time for an NBA team to make a last-minute call to Payne, who has averaged 7.8 points throughout the 477-game career he’s had. For the time being, Payne seems to be trending in the direction of taking his talent overseas for the time being.

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