Kings Considering Unexpected Veterans to Fill Out Their Lineup

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 25: Elfrid Payton #22 of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 25, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Sacramento Kings are taking a unique approach to free agency this summer, as Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported some of the Kings’ apparent targets.

The Kings’ interest in Victor Oladipo, who has been out of the league since he appeared in 42 games for the Miami Heat during the 2022-23 season, has already been discussed in-depth by our Rob Andrew Lo last week. Now, it appears the Kings are looking at a few players in a similar boat, Cam Payne and Elfrid Payton.

Bringing The Payne

Payne spent the majority of the 2025-26 season with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia before returning to the NBA on a rest-of-the-season contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in February. After signing with the 76ers, Payne appeared in 22 games, but only started one. During that time, he averaged 7.4 points per game, 1.1 steals per game, 2.6 assists per game, and shot .376 from the field, including .330 from behind the arc.

Payne has mostly been used as a role player throughout his career, starting just 72 of his 499 career games and averaging 17.5 minutes per game. Last season’s short sample size was a bit of an indicator of what any team would get from him, as throughout his career he’s average 7.7 points per game, 3.2 assists per game, and has a .417 career field goal percentage.

Launching a Comeback?

While Payne played in the NBA last season, albeit for a very short amount of time, the same cannot be said about the Kings’ other target. Elfrid Payton last suited up for an NBA team during the 2024-25 campaign, when he played 18 games for the New Orleans Pelicans and six games with the Charlotte Hornets. It was far from smooth sailing during his final season to date as well, as he was waived by the Pelicans in December, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Charlotte after the new year, and then returned to New Orleans to close the season.

During that 2024-25 season, Payton appeared in just 24 games between the two organizations. He shot .328 from the field, with an abysmal .167 three-point shooting percentage. He averaged 6.9 assists per game, although that number declined drastically during his brief stint in Charlotte. Scoring wise, he was essentially a non-factor as he averaged just 3.5 points per game in 21.3 minutes per game.

It seems clear that the Kings are desperate to consider all options, as they’re likely looking to fill the hole left by the recently-retired Russell Westbrook. With players like Gabe Vincent and Brandon Williams left on the board, it’s a bit surprising that the Kings would go down such a unique path this offseason, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures for a struggling team.

While none of these options will help the Kings’ pursuit of long-term future success, they’ll certainly help fill a hole for the time being. As of now, Payne and Payton are just being considered by the organization, but if either ends up signing a deal, it will lead to more questions in both the short-term and in the long run. Either way, it’s not an ideal situation for Scott Perry at this stage.

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