NBA Notes: Knicks, Cameron Payne, Celtics, Jaylen Brown, Spurs

Knicks

It looks like Cameron Payne’s time in New York has already come and gone. With the Knicks preparing for a three-man camp battle between Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews, veteran guard Payne is no longer in the mix, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Payne, 31, signed with the Knicks last summer on a one-year minimum deal. He gave them 72 games of solid backup minutes, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 36 percent from three.

He even delivered a 14-point, plus-23 performance in the playoff opener against Detroit. But by the time the Knicks reached the conference finals, Payne was out of the rotation.

Unless the Knicks shed salary before camp, they can only carry one more veteran minimum. That means Brogdon, Shamet and Mathews will be fighting for the final spot –and Payne will have to find a new home elsewhere.

Celtics

On paper, Boston took some hits this summer. Jayson Tatum is recovering from an Achilles injury, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were shipped out in cost-cutting moves, and the roster suddenly looks thinner.

Still, Jaylen Brown isn’t buying the doom-and-gloom. “I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now … but it’s a lot to look forward to,” Brown told V-103 FM in his hometown of Atlanta, via The Boston Globe.

When asked about one day joining the Hawks, Brown didn’t shut it down completely. “I feel you,” he said with a smile. “I think my grandma would too.” For now, though, he’s locked in with the Celtics on his $304 million supermax.

Spurs

The Spurs made a small move, waiving forward Osayi Osifo, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

Osifo, 25, went undrafted in 2023 out of Jacksonville and played Summer League ball for the Spurs. He spent last season with Austin in the G League, averaging 7.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. Assuming his deal was an Exhibit 10, he’ll be eligible for a $85K bonus if he returns to Austin for at least 60 days.

That leaves the Spurs with 20 players under contract, one shy of the offseason limit.