The Sacramento Kings will begin a series of veteran workouts by hosting Cam Payne on Thursday, according to Jake Fischer. Sacramento is also considering Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton as it evaluates experienced ball-handling options ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Payne, 32, brings 499 games of NBA experience across 11 seasons. He spent part of the 2025-26 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in 22 NBA games and averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 17.0 minutes per game.
The point guard also played 10 EuroLeague games for Partizan, where he averaged 12.4 points and 3.9 assists in 23.3 minutes. He shot 40.2% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range while averaging 6.3 attempts from beyond the arc per game.
Sacramento’s interest comes after a 22-60 season that left the Kings tied for the NBA’s second-worst record and out of the playoffs for a third consecutive year. The organization has since shifted toward a younger roster, selecting Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
A veteran addition could provide insurance and experience behind Acuff while allowing the rookie to develop without immediately carrying the full responsibility of running the offense. Payne has averaged 3.2 assists per game for his NBA career and has shown the ability to contribute as both a starter and reserve, making 72 starts across his 499 appearances.
His most productive NBA stretch came with Phoenix, where he averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists in 2021-22 before following that with 10.3 points and 4.5 assists in 2022-23. More recently, he shot 39.0% from three-point range during the 2023-24 season split between Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
The Kings still have Malik Monk and Zach LaVine as established backcourt scorers, while Domantas Sabonis remains one of the team’s primary facilitators after averaging 4.1 assists in 19 games last season. Sacramento also moved Devin Carter to Atlanta during the offseason, further changing its point guard depth.
