The Pacers waived Payton on Saturday.
Payton was waived by Indiana after being signed by the team Friday. The 29-year-old guard will likely spend the 2023-24 season with the Pacers' G League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants.
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Pacers' Elfrid Payton: Joining Indiana
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The Pacers signed Payton on Friday.
Payton spent last season with the Pacers' G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He last saw NBA action in 2021-22, when he averaged 3.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 11.0 minutes across 50 appearances for the Suns. If he makes Indiana's regular-season roster, he will likely compete for a depth role in the backcourt.
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Elfrid Payton: Plays 12 minutes in return
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Payton (hamstring) finished with zero points (0-1 FG) and one rebound in 12 minutes during Tuesday's 125-114 win over Long Island.
Payton returned from a hamstring injury and made his first appearance since Feb. 24. However, he was limited to just 12 minutes, so it appears like he's not back to 100 percent yet.
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Elfrid Payton: Goes on injured listed
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The Mad Ants added Payton (hamstring) to the injured list Monday.
Payton was unable to take the floor Sunday due to a hamstring issue, and the injury looks set to cost him additional time as well. Given that just over three weeks remain in the regular season, there isn't much time for him to return during 2022-23 for a Legends squad well out of the playoff picture.
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Elfrid Payton: Dealing with hamstring injury
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Payton didn't play Sunday against Grand Rapids due to a hamstring injury.
Payton played just five minutes last time out before presumably suffering the injury. It's unclear when he'll be able to suit up again.
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Elfrid Payton: Struggles with shot in return
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Payton (leg) posted five points (2-12 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 26 minutes during Wednesday's 122-102 loss to Long Island.
Payton was back in action to start the second-half schedule after missing Fort Wayne's final game before the break due to a leg injury. While the veteran guard played 26 minutes and offered solid peripheral production, he struggled mightily with his shot and scored a season-low five points.
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Elfrid Payton: Out with leg injury
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Payton didn't play in Wednesday's 141-125 win over College Park due to a leg injury.
Payton scored in double figures in each of his first three appearances with Fort Wayne, but he's now dealing with an injury. It's unclear when he'll suit up again.
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Elfrid Payton: Double-doubles in debut
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Payton produced 23 points (10-18 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 10 assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 28 minutes during Friday's 138-137 loss to Greensboro.
Payton dominated during his 2022-23 G League debut. The 28-year-old point guard was one of three Mad Ants to score at least 20 points and dished out a team-high 10 assists en route to a double-double.
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Elfrid Payton: Exploring options in G League
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Payton signed a G League contract Wednesday and is expected to be assigned to a team in the near future, NBA writer Marc Stein reports.
The 28-year-old Payton was a lottery pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and enjoyed some success early in his career, but he's struggled to stick anywhere on a long-term basis since being dealt away by Orlando in February 2018. He's since bounced around between the Suns, Pelicans and Knicks before reaching free agency following the 2021-22 season after a second stint with Phoenix. After the veteran point guard was unable to find an opportunity with an NBA team ahead of training camp or during the first half of the current season, he'll head to the G League in an attempt to revive his downward-trending career.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Back to bench Wednesday
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Payton will come off the bench for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves.
With Cameron Payne returning to the starting lineup after a one-game absence, Payton will shift back to a bench role. He's averaging 3.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game this season.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Poor outing Sunday
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Payton recorded one point (0-3 FG, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals over 18 minutes during Sunday's 127-124 overtime victory over the Kings.
Payton didn't have a lot of involvement on offense and although the one-point stat line reads poorly, at least he managed to make his presence felt in other categories throughout a limited 18-minute appearance. It's worth noting he only started because Cameron Payne (illness) and Chris Paul (thumb) were absent, so Payton should head back to the bench sooner than later. His next chance to play will come Wednesday at Minnesota.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Will start Sunday
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Payton will start Sunday's contest against the Kings, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
With Camerson Payne (illness) sidelined, Payton will draw his first start of the season. Aaron Holiday is also expected to see an increased role off the bench, but Devin Booker will likely handle the majority of the offensive playmaking responsibilities.
Payton produced two points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and three assists over 14 minutes during Friday's 117-102 loss to the Pelicans.
Payton logged just 14 minutes despite the fact the Suns were without their three primary point guard options. If nothing else, this indicates where Payton currently site in the team's pecking order. While he can have some limited value when handed sufficient playing time, it is hard to that happening based on Friday's performance.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Nearly notches double-double
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Payton had 10 points (4-11 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), six rebounds, nine assists and one steal over 22 minutes during Saturday's 132-105 win over Orlando.
The lopsided nature of the score allowed Payton to see his most playing time since Oct. 23, and he took advantage of the opportunity with his first double-digit scoring effort since late October. The veteran point guard finished with season-high single-game marks in both assists and rebounds to register his best performance of the campaign. Despite the strong effort, Payton isn't likely to see minutes beyond the teens most nights.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Fails to score in 10 minutes
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Payton closed Thursday's 124-115 loss to the Hawks with zero points (0-1 FG), two rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 10 minutes.
Payton managed to dish out seven assists but offered very little else in the loss. Even without Cameron Payne who is out with a wrist injury, Payton has not been able to establish himself as a sizeable part of the rotation. He has not played more than 15 minutes since all the way back on December 19, and so chances are he remains a nonfactor the rest of the way.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Clears protocols
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Payton (COVID-19) has cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Payton has now been in and out of protocols twice during this week alone and has been cleared once again ahead of Friday's game against the Celtics. The 27-year-old has played a depth role behind Chris Paul and Cameron Payne this season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Re-enters protocols, out Wednesday
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Payton (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Payton was in league protocols on Sunday before returning to the court for Monday's loss to the Grizzlies, but he will now miss Wednesday's game after landing in the health and safety protocols for the second time this week. As a result, more minutes could be available for Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Small role in Monday's loss
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Payton (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) played nine minutes and finished with two points (1-3 FG), two rebounds and one steal in Monday's 114-113 loss to the Grizzlies.
Payton entered the health and safety protocols Sunday and appeared destined to miss time, but he was cleared hours before Monday's opening tip, suggesting he may have initially been ruled out due to a false positive test result. Regardless, Payton continued to handle a fringe role in the Phoenix rotation, as the absences of DeAndre Ayton and Jae Crowder due to health and safety protocols helped the veteran point guard pick up some minutes while the Suns relied more heavily on small-ball lineups. Once Phoenix has its full complement of players available, Payton likely won't have a spot on the second unit, as Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet both look to be ahead of him on the depth chart behind backcourt starters Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Clears protocols, available Monday
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Payton cleared the COVID-19 protocols and will be available for Monday's game against the Grizzlies, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Payton landed in the health and safety protocols Sunday, but he was able to produce negative tests and clear the protocols in time to suit up Monday. The 27-year-old has played only seven minutes across the past three games and may not have a significant role with Phoenix's backcourt in full health.
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Suns' Elfrid Payton: Enters health and safety protocols
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Payton was placed in the league's health and safety protocols Sunday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Payton hadn't appeared in two of the last three contests, but he'll now be unavailable due to the league's health and safety protocols. Landry Shamet could see a slight uptick in usage while Payton is sidelined. It's not yet clear whether he's tested positive for COVID-19 or when he'll be able to return.
