NBA Veteran Point Guard Reportedly Interested in Joining Kings

Payne, a 10-year veteran, averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 rebounds on 40.1% shooting from the field and 36.3% from three last season with the New York Knicks. He's never been a high-volume scorer, but Payne brings energy and hustle that can impact the game, as shown by his surge off the bench in the recent Knicks playoff run.

He also has a career 36.8% three-point percentage, and over the last six seasons, has shot 38.1% from beyond the arc. Last year with the Knicks, he hit his wide-open threes at a 39.7% clip, which gets the job done with everything else he brings to the court.

Payne was also one of the Knicks best players according to his advanced numbers. He had a +6.9 on/off net rating last season in New York, meaning the Knicks net rating went up by 6.9 when he was on the court compared to when he sat. That actually led the team for the season.

His biggest impact was on the defensive end, where he had a 107.5 defensive rating, compared to the Knicks' defensive rating of 114.2 when he sat. Payne may be approaching 31, but he can clearly still impact a game.

The question is, is he what the Kings need? While Payne could come in and average 15ish minutes per game, it would limit the opportunity for Carter and Clifford, and even Keon Ellis. The good news is that Payne would likely be on a good contract. He made $3 million last season and will likely make around the same this year.

The Kings will likely use these Summer League games to plan out the rest of their offseason moves, and while it may not seem like they need another guard at this point, a few subpar performances or future trades could change that quickly. It's good to know that there's at least another quality veteran option available, and interested if the Kings need to bring in someone else.