Through their first 15 games of the 2024-25 season, the Pelicans are 4-11. The team is 2-8 in their last 10 games and is dealing with injuries in their backcourt. Shooting guard Dejounte Murray has played in just one game this season and has a hand injury.
Veteran C.J. McCollum has played in four games for the Pelicans this season and is dealing with right adductor soreness. Without Murray and McCollum, the Pelicans are thin at guard. This morning, ESPN’s Shams Charnaia announced that New Orleans is signing free agent Elfrid Payton. His last playing experience in the NBA was in the 2021-22 season with the Suns. It’s been over two full seasons since Payton has played in an NBA game. We’ll see how much the veteran plays on Wednesday night when the Pelicans play the Bulls.
How effective can Elfrid Payton be for the Pelicans?
Free agent guard Elfrid Payton has agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, his agent Darrell Comer of Tandem told ESPN. Payton attended training camp with the Pelicans and now rejoins the team amid a wave of injuries. pic.twitter.com/REROvFohX2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2024
With the 10th pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the 76ers selected Elfrid Payton out of Louisiana. On draft night, Payton was traded to the Magic for Dario Saric along with a future first and second-round pick. Payton played the first three and a half seasons of his career with Orlando. During the 2017-18 season, Payton was traded to the Phoenix Suns. The veteran guard signed a one-year deal with the Pelicans in 2018-19 and started 42 games for New Orleans.
After that, he got a two-year deal from the Knicks and played with New York in 2019-20 and 2020-21. For the 2021-22 season, Payton signed a one-year deal with the Suns and played in 50 games. April 10, 2022, was the last time that Payton suited up for an NBA game. Nine-hundred and fifty-five days later, Payton will likely step foot on the court again. As a rookie in 2014-15 with the Magic, Payton was teammates with now Pelicans head coach Willie Green. When Elfrid Payton played for New Orleans in 2018-19, he recorded six triple-doubles. We’ll see how the 30-year-old looks tonight after his long hiatus.
