It has been a busy off-season for the New York Knicks. After bringing in Mikal Bridges and retaining OG Anunoby, the Knicks aren't done as on Monday, they made another deal, signing free agent guard Cameron Payne to a one-year, $3.1 million deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Payne might not have been the Knicks' first choice at guard, as they had shown interest in Washington Wizards guard Tyus Jones, according to Ian Begley of SNY. While Jones had interest from multiple teams, the Knicks chose Payne because they liked Payne's playoff experience and his shooting ability.
New York will be Payne's seventh team in eight years. I don't know why Payne has moved around from team to team because he's a good player. Last season, he split time between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, and he averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 39 percent on three-pointers. In his career, Payne has averaged 7.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 rebounds.
Payne will give the Knicks some depth after they lost guards Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes in trades over the last year. Payne has had consistently good production on every team he's been a part of. He was a key part of the Phoenix Suns making it to the NBA Finals in 2021, as he averaged 9.3 points on 42.5 percent shooting and 3.2 assists in the playoffs that year.
With OG Anunoby re-signed, Jalen Brunson extended, Mikal Bridges acquired in a trade, and now the addition of Payne, the Knicks are becoming a formidable team. They are Intimidating because they have very good young players and one of the best at their positions. The coaching staff under one of the best head coaches in the league, Tom Thibodeau, could help make these young players even better. If that happens, then the Knicks could be an unbeatable team with their mix of offensive firepower, perimeter defense, and strong depth, with Josh Hart as the 6th man off the bench. They will once again be a top team in the East and, with some luck, could make a run at an NBA title.
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