2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Elfrid Payton: 2 years, $16 million (New York Knicks)
Free agent guard Elfrid Payton has agreed to a two-year, $16M deal with the New York Knicks, agents Ty Sullivan and Aaron Mintz of CAA Sports tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019
This is one signing that doesn’t quite make as much sense unless a trade involving Dennis Smith Jr. or Frank Ntilikina is coming, but at the very least, it’s not a cap sheet killer.
Payton is a slightly below-average floor general in this league, which has defined the New York Knicks‘ point guard position for years now. Trey Burke is gone and Emmanuel Mudiay is a free agent, but the 1-spot is still a bit crowded now.
Last season, Payton posted 10.6 points, 7.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game for the New Orleans Pelicans. He still can’t shoot and his overall impact doesn’t measure up to his raw numbers, but it’ll be interesting to see how this low-cost signing affects the Knicks’ thinking when it comes to allocating minutes in the backcourt.
Grade: C