The NBA world was shocked this week when Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the league after 18 seasons. Westbrook finished his career with the Sacramento Kings, and although it seemed like a long shot, there was a chance that he might come back and play for them one more year. 

After Westbrook’s announcement, the Kings were left with limited options for a veteran point guard behind Darius Acuff Jr. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Kings understand the urgency when it comes to finding a backup and are bringing in another veteran for a workout: Cam Payne.

"The Kings will begin a series of veteran workouts tomorrow by hosting Cam Payne, sources say. We’ve already reported Sacramento’s interest in Victor Oladipo. Another experienced ball handler the Kings are considering, per sources, is Elfrid Payton," Fischer reported on Wednesday.

What Can Cam Payne Bring To Sacramento?

Cam Payne has bounced around the league as a backup point guard for 11 seasons, playing for eight different teams. Most recently, he played for Serbian club KK Partizan before joining the Philadelphia 76ers for a second time. Payne was eventually waived by the Sixers in April, but not before putting up a career-high 32 points against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Payne has been a serviceable backup point guard for most of his career with modest averages of seven points, roughly three assists, and two rebounds. His main selling point for the Kings is that he’s a veteran presence who can be a pest defensively and limit turnovers on the other end. 

One thing Payne deserves credit for is his aggression and hustle, especially as an on-ball defender, though he is quite limited by his size. I can see why the Kings think Payne’s tenacity would be good for Acuff Jr.; I just question if he’s the best option left.

What About Elfrid Payton?

The other name that Fischer brings up is Elfrid Payton, a former 10th overall pick in 2014. Like Payne, Peyton is 32 years old and has played for a plethora of teams in the league. He enjoyed a decent start to his career, including making the All-Rookie Team for the Orlando Magic. Payton has career averages of 10 points, four rebounds, and nearly six assists per game, but hasn’t been very productive since his stint with the New York Knicks from 2019-2021. 

Payton does bring a different skill set than Payne, and that skill set might be a better fit for Sacramento. Payton is an excellent passer, with a nearly 33% average assist percentage for his career.

The former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun also boasts a 5.8-to-2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio for his career and has a 2.2% steal percentage and 1.0% block percentage over nine seasons. Having an active defender like him on the roster wouldn’t be the worst thing for Acuff Jr., but, similar to Payne, I find myself asking whether this would be the right move.

Why Signing a Veteran Point Guard Doesn’t Make Much Sense

No offense to Payne, Payton, Victor Oladipo, or any of the veteran backup guard options on the market; they simply don’t make a lot of sense for Sacramento. First, the Kings have plenty of veterans on the roster to help their rookie point guard learn the ropes. Sure, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, and Zach LaVine don’t play the same position as Acuff Jr., but they have 30+ years of experience between them. 

Unless Jrue Holiday or another former All-Star with championship experience becomes available, the Kings should be fine with what they have on the roster when it comes to veteran mentors.

The Kings are pivoting to their younger core, and there’s no real reason to exclude their backup point guard spot from that directive. Nick Smith Jr., Brandon Williams, and Trevor Keels are all options that would have the opportunity to stick around given their age. 

Williams, 26, is especially interesting because he brings a different dimension than Acuff Jr. with his driving and finishing ability, and he started 15 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season. I’m not saying any of these options are home runs, but they present real upside for years to come. 

Out of the veteran options the Kings have reportedly considered, Oladipo and Payton feel like better choices, though there are issues with their fit as well. Oladipo is more of an off-guard, and with his injury history and lack of recent NBA run, I would be surprised he got many minutes over LaVine, Monk, or Nique Clifford. Payton also hasn’t played a ton of minutes in the NBA recently, and his lack of shooting really limits how impactful he can be on the court.

Why the Obsession With Veterans Then?

Last season, Scott Perry brought in Russell Westbrook, Drew Eubanks, and Dennis Schroder, while re-signing Doug McDermott. Westbrook had a solid season, and his impact on the team goes beyond his numbers, but the rest of the veterans Perry brought in failed to make any real impact. The Kings even had to attach draft assets to Schroder when they traded him at the deadline, after signing him to a three-year, $45 million contract.

It’s clear that Perry and the Kings value NBA experience, even if the on-court product isn’t what it used to be for the players themselves. Signing any of the guards mentioned would be a low-risk move and wouldn’t be something to be overly upset about. The only question is, “Are there better ways to fill out a roster as one of the worst teams in the NBA?”

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