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As Cameron Payne prepares to begin his tenure with the San Antonio Spurs, he is lamenting what could have been with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns dealt the eight-year veteran in July in a move meant to provide “roster balance and flexibility.” The guard shared his opinion of the matter on IG Live, saying that while he understands the business side of it, he feels like he could have been a contributor for the team.
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Cam Payne on IG live talking about getting traded from the Suns.
“I wish i was in Phoenix still.. It is what it is man, they trynna win the chip and i respect it. I feel like they could’ve won the chip with me tho” pic.twitter.com/jcUsfK4H06
“I wish I was in Phoenix still,” Payne said. “It is what it is, they’re trying to win the ‘chip, and I respect it. I feel like they could’ve won the ‘chip with me, though.”
San Antonio is set to be the fifth team that Payne plays for in his NBA career. He began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being selected with the 14th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and also had stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before settling in Phoenix.
His time in Phoenix, however, was definitely his most successful. He played 174 games across four seasons for the franchise, averaging more than 10 points three times and playing in 42 playoff games.
The roster has had a major overhaul over the past year, adding Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal via trades and seeing players like Mikal Bridges and Chris Paul depart. This comes after the team has had a significant presence in the playoff picture but has been unable to grasp a NBA Championship despite a Finals appearance in 2021.
As the team looks to go for it with a different core, Payne will join a Spurs team that went 22-60 in 2022-23 but added Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.
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