Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Cameron Payne

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Cameron Payne made an impact.

Cameron Payne is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the New York Knicks in the NBA. He played college basketball at Murray State before being drafted 14th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015 NBA draft. He played for the Thunder for two seasons before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2017. He remained with the Bulls for three seasons before being waived in 2019.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

June 25, 2015: Drafted by Oklahoma City Thunder

On June 25, 2015, Cameron Payne was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

July 10, 2015: Signed Rookie Contract with Thunder

On July 10, 2015, Cameron Payne signed his rookie scale contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2015: Drafted by Oklahoma City Thunder

In 2015, Cameron Payne was selected 14th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA draft.

April 12, 2016: Career Highs Against Spurs

On April 12, 2016, in the Thunder's regular season finale, Cameron Payne recorded career highs of 17 points and seven assists in a 102–98 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

2016: Assignments with Windy City Bulls

During the 2016 season, Cameron Payne had multiple assignments with the Windy City Bulls, the Bulls' D-League affiliate.

February 9, 2017: Season-High Points vs. Cavaliers

On February 9, 2017, Cameron Payne scored a season-high 15 points in a 118–109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

February 23, 2017: Traded to Chicago Bulls

On February 23, 2017, Cameron Payne was traded to the Chicago Bulls along with Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow in exchange for Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round draft pick.

2017: Traded to Chicago Bulls

In 2017, Cameron Payne was traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he played for three seasons.

February 22, 2018: Season Debut for Bulls

On February 22, 2018, Cameron Payne made his season debut for the Bulls in a 116–115 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

March 17, 2018: First Professional Double-Double

On March 17, 2018, Cameron Payne recorded his first professional double-double in his NBA career, putting up 13 points and a career-high 10 assists in a 114–109 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

March 23, 2018: Career-High Points Against Bucks

On March 23, 2018, Cameron Payne had a career-high 17 points and six assists in a 118–105 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

October 24, 2018: Career High 21 Points

On October 24, 2018, Cameron Payne scored all of his career-high 21 points in the second half of the Bulls' 112–110 win over the Charlotte Hornets, going 7 for 11 on 3-pointers.

2018: Assignments with Windy City Bulls

During the 2018 season, Cameron Payne had multiple assignments with the Windy City Bulls, the Bulls' D-League affiliate.

January 3, 2019: Waived by Bulls

On January 3, 2019, Cameron Payne was waived by the Chicago Bulls.

January 6, 2019: Signed with Cleveland Cavaliers

On January 6, 2019, Cameron Payne signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

July 25, 2019: Signed with Toronto Raptors

On July 25, 2019, Cameron Payne signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors.

October 8, 2019: Played Preseason Game Against Rockets

On October 8, 2019, Cameron Payne played for 12 minutes against the Houston Rockets in a preseason game, tallying four points, one assist, and one rebound.

October 19, 2019: Released by Raptors

On October 19, 2019, the Toronto Raptors released Cameron Payne.

November 12, 2019: Joined Shanxi Loongs

On November 12, 2019, it was reported that Cameron Payne joined the Shanxi Loongs.

2019: Waived by Chicago Bulls

In 2019, Cameron Payne was waived by the Chicago Bulls.

January 2, 2020: Replaced by Shanxi Loongs

On January 2, 2020, Cameron Payne was replaced by the Shanxi Loongs.

January 25, 2020: Acquired by Texas Legends

On January 25, 2020, the Texas Legends announced that they had acquired Cameron Payne.

March 3, 2020: Named NBA G-League Player of the Week

During the week of March 3, 2020, Cameron Payne was named the NBA G-League Player of the Week.

June 30, 2020: Agreed to deal with Phoenix Suns

On June 30, 2020, Cameron Payne agreed to a two-season deal with the Phoenix Suns.

August 7, 2020: Recorded Season-High Points

On August 7, 2020, Cameron Payne recorded a season-high 15 points in a 114–99 win over the Indiana Pacers.

November 18, 2020: Second Season Option Picked Up

On November 18, 2020, Cameron Payne had his second season option picked up after a successful time in the bubble.

2020: Signed with Phoenix Suns

In 2020, Cameron Payne signed with the Phoenix Suns, revitalizing his career.

January 6, 2021: Tied Career-High Assists

On January 6, 2021, Cameron Payne tied his then career-high of 10 assists in only 16 minutes of play in a 123–115 win over the Toronto Raptors.

June 22, 2021: Career High in Western Conference Finals

On June 22, 2021, Cameron Payne recorded a career high in the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Clippers, recording 29 points.

2021: Reached NBA Finals with Phoenix Suns

In 2021, Cameron Payne helped the Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals.

March 4, 2022: Career-High Assists

On March 4, 2022, Cameron Payne recorded a career-high 16 assists to go with 17 points in a 115–114 win over the New York Knicks.

November 16, 2022: Matched Career-High Points

On November 16, 2022, Cameron Payne matched his career-high of 29 points in a 130–119 win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

July 17, 2023: Traded to San Antonio Spurs

On July 17, 2023, the Suns traded Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs.

2023: Broke Career High In Points Scored

During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, in Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, Cameron Payne broke his career high in points scored, scoring 31 points in a 125–100 loss.