Former NBA top-10 pick making comeback with West playoff team
Feb 18, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The NBA logo on the court at Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Over two full years since his last NBA appearance, a former lottery pick is officially back.
Andrew Lopez of ESPN reported Thursday that the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a deal with veteran guard Elfrid Payton. Still only 30, Payton is getting a non-guaranteed training camp deal from New Orleans.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Payton already played for the Pelicans in the 2018-19 season (producing some of his best career numbers with 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per contest). Payton is also a Louisiana native who played his college ball at Louisiana-Lafayette, making the reunion especially fitting.
The 6-foot-3 Payton last played in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns in 2021-22 but has since played in Puerto Rico as well as in the NBA G League. Though Payton has had some lowlights in his NBA career, he is nice stat-stuffer and floor general who can fight for the third point guard spot behind Dejounte Murray and Jose Alvarado in New Orleans.
