<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-elfrid-payton-decision-amid-mccollum-murray-injury-returns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans make Elfrid Payton decision amid CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray injury returns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NOLA-makes-Elfrid-Payton-decision-amid-CJ-McCollum-Dejounte-Murray-injury-returns.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans make Elfrid Payton decision amid CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray injury returns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-03T14:44:12-08:00">December 3rd, 2:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T14:44:39-08:00">December 3rd, 2:44pm</time><address><a>Kris Pursiainen</a>Kris Pursiainen is an Associate Editor for all sports based in the NJ/NYC area. Kris brings several years of experience reporting on and writing about professional teams to the table. With experience all over the country as a New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Mets, Super Bowl LVIII, and Big East beat reporter, Kris has been breaking news and reporting on the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college basketball landscapes for years. Kris is a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans’ injury woes are lightening up. This leaves the team with decisions to make regarding the players that stepped up in the absence of guards CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray. And in the case of Elfrid Payton, the decision from the team on Tuesday was to waive the veteran guard, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1864062914811801839" rel="noopener">per ESPN’s Shams Charania</a>.</p><p>“The New Orleans Pelicans are waiving guard Elfrid Payton, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote. “Payton averaged 6.7 points, 6.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in seven games for the Pelicans — including a 14-point, 21-assist performance on Nov. 25.”</p><p>The seven games in New Orleans were Payton’s first at the NBA level since the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 11.0 minutes per game for the Suns. The statement performance Charania alluded to came in the team’s 114-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers on November 25. Payton had <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-elfrid-payton-internet-buzzing-posting-assist-total-pacers">fans of all NBA teams buzzing on social media</a> with his resurgence.</p><h2><b>Payton’s departure from Pelicans marks potential turning point</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Elfrid-Payton-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Payton did everything the Pelicans asked of him when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-rewarded-elfrid-payton-years-long-resiliency-nba-return-john-ehret-university-louisiana">called him up from the G-League</a>. With several starting guards injured, he gave the team earnest veteran guard play. But with Murray and McCollum back from injuries, Payton’s role dwindled majorly. After playing only 17 minutes in the team’s 118-85 blowout loss to his former Knicks, the guard played just six minutes during Monday night’s 124-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>It’s understandable for general manager David Griffin to waive Payton. It’s an acknowledgement that neither party is optimizing their time with the veteran sitting on the bench. But the team needs the move to mark an inflection point in its season.</p><p>The Pelicans are dead last in the Western Conference. They have lost nine straight games. As a result, they sit at 4-18 and have only won one game out of their last ten. The team is 1-11 on the road this season. The list goes on.</p><p>With Brandon Ingram <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-pelicans-brandon-ingram-intriguing-move-klutch-sports">apparently willing to jump ship in search of a new contract</a>, Griffin’s vision seems to have just been a mirage. Unless Willie Green and the Pelicans can turn things around now, the team is in danger of having its season become another full of disappointment.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans make Elfrid Payton decision amid CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray injury returns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-elfrid-payton-internet-buzzing-posting-assist-total-pacers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Elfrid Payton has the internet buzzing after posting unreal assists total vs. Pacers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Elfrid-Payton-has-the-internet-buzzing-after-posting-unreal-assist-total-vsPacers.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Elfrid Payton has the internet buzzing after posting unreal assists total vs. Pacers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-26T08:14:48-08:00">November 26th, 8:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-26T08:14:48-08:00">November 26th, 8:14am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a long absence in the NBA, veteran point guard and former first-round pick Elfrid Payton is back in business in the league. And in just his third game since officially returning to the league <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-rewarded-elfrid-payton-years-long-resiliency-nba-return-john-ehret-university-louisiana">via a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans</a>, Payton managed to do something no other player so far in the 2024-25 NBA season has done.</p><p>On Monday night, Payton, who was selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2014 NBA draft, recorded a total of 21 assists against the Indiana Pacers. Those were the <a href="https://x.com/statmuse/status/1861233722948817023" rel="noopener">most dimes dropped by a player this season</a>.</p><p>Payton may have spent a long time away from the NBA before the Pelicans gave him a chance, but he’s never forgotten to set the table right for his teammates. He also had fans on social media buzzing over his unselfishness on the court, albeit in a 114-110 loss to the Pacers.</p><p>“Orlando Magic LEGEND,” <a href="https://x.com/playmaker/status/1861233819812041046" rel="noopener">commented</a> an X (formerly Twitter) user.</p><p>From <a href="https://x.com/siryungyul/status/1861237618156896557" rel="noopener">another commenter</a>: “Keep in mind he wasn’t in the league just a couple weeks ago. Glad Elfrid Payton is back in the league and balling out, I remember watching him during the Orlando Magic days. 14 points and 21 assists is insane. He always been a triple double threat”</p><p>“He decided to be magic johnson for no reason,” <a href="https://x.com/269Ray/status/1861237836868895151" rel="noopener">posted</a> a social media user.</p><p>“Great game from a great guy. He never should have waited 3 years for another nba contract,” a <a href="https://x.com/loynerlucas/status/1861234006659924232" rel="noopener">different comment</a> read.</p><p>One take <a href="https://x.com/BackbBanter/status/1861234737987121659" rel="noopener">read</a>: “This man just reappeared out of nowhere after 2 years to ball out for a week and will dissapear again”</p><p>“He wasn’t even on a roster 2 weeks ago and now he has the best assist game of the season. Insane,” <a href="https://x.com/BrysonWright3/status/1861234650749739064" rel="noopener">marveled</a> an X user.</p><h2><b>Elfrid Payton shines amid the Pelicans’ loss to Pacers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Elfrid-Payton-in-action-during-a-Pelicans-Pacers-game.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Payton’s assists total shadowed all the other good things he did on the floor against Indiana. Apart from his assists, the 30-year-old Payton also scored 14 points on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. He had five turnovers but those were par for the course considering all the playmaking he did for his teammates.</p><p>The Pelicans decided to sign Payton to <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15362/elfrid-payton" rel="noopener">a one-year deal worth $2.49 million</a> amid a rash of injuries. It will be interesting to see how big of a role he will have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-date-injury-return">once New Orleans gets a little healthier</a>, but what’s certain at the moment is that he’s been a fantastic pickup for the Pelicans, who are sporting a 4-14 record.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Elfrid Payton has the internet buzzing after posting unreal assists total vs. Pacers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-rewarded-elfrid-payton-years-long-resiliency-nba-return-john-ehret-university-louisiana');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans rewarded Elfrid Payton’s years-long ‘resiliency’ with NBA return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Why-Willie-Green-rewarded-Elfrid-Payton.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans rewarded Elfrid Payton’s years-long ‘resiliency’ with NBA return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-20T21:26:58-08:00">November 20th, 9:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-20T21:26:58-08:00">November 20th, 9:26pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-catch-possible-luxury-tax-break-amid-hand-fracture-injury">New Orleans Pelicans need bright spots and good news</a> wherever they can be found. There are few silver linings to be celebrated going into the holiday season considering the injuries to Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram. Willie Green’s squad is mostly sitting on the sidelines, waiting to be cleared for action by the medical staff. Fortunately, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-new-orleans-reunites-with-former-lottery-pick">Pelicans found a serviceable backup</a> right around the corner from the Smoothie King Center in Elfrid Payton.</p><p>Where can a coach start when it comes to addressing a 128-100 blowout on the road when most of the team never suited up in a uniform? Highlighting local talent that represents the best of what the region can offer is always a good look. Green went with Payton’s return to an NBA court in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUK2ncJ4LSg" rel="noopener">cooling-off post-game media session.</a></p><p>“Start with Elfrid. It’s been two seasons so we’re extremely proud of him for having the resiliency that it takes, the faith that it takes to stick with it,” Green explained. “I’m extremely grateful that (the Pelicans) could be in a position to get him back in the NBA. It’s actually where he belongs. (Payton) is an NBA point guard.”</p><p>“(Payton) was great, to have not played in an NBA game going on two seasons,” continued Green. “To be able to step on the floor and have such a command of the offense and control over what’s going on on the floor. He had some early turnovers. That’s rust but eight assists, finding guys on time and on target. He is a really good defender and can rebound. It was good to have him on the floor. We needed him.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Elfrid-Payton-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Payton’s presence around the team since training camp helped the newest point guard get on the same page with others rather quickly. Still, any team missing Williamson, Ingram, McCollum, Murray, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy III is going to have chemistry issues. Most of the preseason process was built around those foundational pieces after all.</p><p>So, sure, picking up things on the fly is bound to cause some headaches. Green is no stranger to early-season struggles though, and these trying times shall pass eventually.</p><p>“This is definitely difficult,” Green allowed. “It’s challenges involved in it. It’s hard but when you’re in adversity, when you are facing these difficult moments, for us it’s stay steady. Stay consistent and eventually, it turns. This makes us stronger. It’s hard to go through it. Nobody wants to go through the hard moments in life. But the only way to get through it is to get through it and we are. I’m super proud of our guys, how they’ve continued to stick together.”</p><p>Elfrid Payton stuck with his dream and it landed the University of Louisiana-Lafayette product with the hometown team. Amid a losing season, that is something any local fan can be proud of considering the circumstances.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans rewarded Elfrid Payton’s years-long ‘resiliency’ with NBA return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-news-former-lottery-pick-elfrid-payton-eyes-comeback-attempt');   ga('set', 'title', 'Former lottery pick Elfrid Payton eyeing NBA comeback attempt');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Former-lottery-pick-Elfrid-Payton-wants-to-make-comeback-attempt.jpg"></figure><h1>Former lottery pick Elfrid Payton eyeing NBA comeback attempt</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-25T12:24:07-07:00">March 25th, 12:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-25T12:24:07-07:00">March 25th, 12:24pm</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Having started 397 of the 504 games that he’s played in since joining the NBA, nobody can blame 29-year-old <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-elfrid-paytons-mom-puts-new-york-on-blast-for-starting-derrick-rose-over-son" rel="noopener">Elfrid Payton</a> for wanting another shot at being in the NBA.</p><p>Currently playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a quality G League team affiliated with the Indiana Pacers, Payton has averaged 8.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 21.0 minutes per game.</p><p>Those numbers don’t particularly stick out for their volume. Instead, they highlight the steadiness of Payton. A player who simply plays his game.</p><p>Payton, speaking to AllPacers about <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/one-on-one-fort-wayne-mad-ants-guard-former-top-10-pick-elfrid-payton-indiana-pacers" rel="noopener">his desire to return</a> to the NBA, says that joining the Mad Ants “was something that [he] thought [he] could do to help [his] career.”</p><p>However, while “the ultimate goal is to get back into the NBA,” Payton hasn’t been speaking to any NBA teams about signing a contract.</p><p>“Maybe my agent [has],” Payton reveals.</p><p>“[I’ve] been talking to the GM down here. Stuff like that. That hasn’t really been my focus. I’m just enjoying the journey. Trying to get better every day. Trying to help these guys as much as I can, give them as much knowledge about the NBA and what’s expected, stuff like that.”</p><p>“I’m enjoying the journey just wherever this takes me, man.”</p><p>Drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2014, Payton has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the NBA.</p><p>At first, Payton’s career looked promising, with the University of Louisiana – Lafayette product making the All-Rookie team after averaging 8.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately for Payton, guards were being looked at to score and stretch defenses more than ever; his skillset started to be look outdated.</p><p>With the league less focused on finding a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-ayesha-curry-named-latest-appointees-under-potus-joe-biden" rel="noopener">Steph Curry</a> remake, now may be Payton’s best chance to make a comeback.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former lottery pick Elfrid Payton eyeing NBA comeback attempt

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Elfrid Payton agrees to deal with Suns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Elfrid-Payton-agrees-to-deal-with-Phoenix-2.jpeg"></figure><h1>Elfrid Payton agrees to deal with Suns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-09T18:03:48-07:00">August 9th, 6:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-09T18:05:13-07:00">August 9th, 6:05pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns have brought back basically everybody from this past group that made their way to the NBA Finals before losing in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks. They brought back Chris Paul on a huge contract and brought back Cam Payne as well.</p><p>Well, the Suns didn’t stop there and are now bringing in another point guard. <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1424893058684915716">According to Shams Charania of The Athletic,</a> the Suns have agreed to a deal with Elfrid Payton.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Free agent guard Elfrid Payton has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1424893058684915716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Payton <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-tom-thibodeau-explains-benching-elfrid-payton-derrick-rose/">spent last season</a> with the New York Knicks and was the starter for much of the season as Tom Thibodeau kept him in the lineup. Once the Knicks got Derrick Rose, Payton’s minutes began to decrease and the split became inevitable.</p><p>As NBA free agency has dried up, Payton now will head to the Suns and add another guard to their talented rotation that includes Paul, Payne, and Devin Booker, not to mention the remaining of their roster that is full of youth and talent.</p><p>The Suns should be pegged as one of the favorites in the Western Conference once again after a successful season, their first under head coach Monty Williams.</p><p>It is now official, and Payton is headed to the Suns.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Elfrid Payton agrees to deal with Suns

Jeff Teague

Andre Roberson

Jerami Grant

Justin Holiday

Elfrid Payton

Mikal Bridges

Frank Kaminsky

Quinn Cook

Kyle Anderson

Justin Jackson

2014-15 All-Rookie

Orlando Magic

Phoenix Suns

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Charlotte Hornets

4 seasons

1 season

Career

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1651280715202412547/

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1650722985177763843/

Where is the clip of the lil boy saying Lebron James? 😭😭

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1644527711853879299/

Happy birthday to my Brudda flash Brady!! @GB_DEEMON 💚

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1638933805640581122/

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1638279497521811483/

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1633221512927891463/

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1632926636751421441/

Let’s go dancing!!! 🕺🏾🕺🏾@RaginCajunsMBB

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/1629675810956222464/

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.4	3.7	8.1	0.4	1.0

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.4	3.7	8.1	0.4	1.0

Elfrid
Payton

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