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 was drafted 14th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015 after playing college basketball for Murray State. Payne played for the Thunder for two seasons before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2017, where he played until he was waived in 2019. His career has involved navigating various team changes and adapting to different roles within the NBA.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2013: State Title

In 2013, Cameron Payne led Lausanne Collegiate to a Division II state title in Tennessee.

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 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

On April 12, 2016, Cameron Payne recorded career highs of 17 points and seven assists in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

2016: D-League assignments

During the 2016–17 season, Cameron Payne had multiple assignments with the Windy City Bulls, the Bulls' D-League affiliate.

February 9, 2017: Season High

On February 9, 2017, Cameron Payne scored a season-high 15 points in a 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.

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

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

March 17, 2018: Double-Double

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

March 23, 2018: Career High Points

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

October 24, 2018: Career High Points

On October 24, 2018, Cameron Payne scored all of his career-high 21 points in the second half of the Bulls' win over the Charlotte Hornets.

2018: Draft Pick

In exchange for Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round draft pick.

January 3, 2019: Waived by the Bulls

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

January 6, 2019: Signed with Cavaliers

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

July 25, 2019: Signed with Raptors

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

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, Cameron Payne was reported to join the Shanxi Loongs.

2019: Waived by the Bulls

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

January 2, 2020: Replaced

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

January 25, 2020: Acquired by Texas Legends

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

June 30, 2020: Deal With Phoenix Suns

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

August 7, 2020: Season High

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

November 18, 2020: Option Picked Up

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

2020: Signed with the Phoenix Suns

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

January 6, 2021: Career High Assist

On January 6, 2021, Cameron Payne tied his then career-high of 10 assists in a win over the Toronto Raptors.

June 22, 2021: Career High

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

2021: Reached the NBA Finals with the 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 win over the New York Knicks.

November 16, 2022: Matched Career High

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

July 17, 2023: Traded to Spurs

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

2023: Career High Points Scored

During the Semi-Finals round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Cameron Payne broke his career high in points scored, with 31 points in a loss against the Denver Nuggets.