When the Philadelphia 76ers decided to move on from Jared McCain ahead of the trade deadline, the expectation was clear: a corresponding move would follow, something that signaled a bigger plan in motion. Instead, what fans got was Cameron Payne - a veteran guard signed for the remainder of the season after a $1.75 million buyout from Partizan Belgrade. And just like that, the Sixers’ much-anticipated follow-up to the McCain trade took a sharp left turn into head-scratching territory.
Let’s be fair here. Trading McCain wasn’t necessarily the problem.
The sophomore guard had struggled to find his rhythm, dealing with two significant injuries early in his young career. From a value standpoint, Philadelphia got a decent return.
The issue isn’t about letting McCain go - it’s about what came next.
Enter Payne, a familiar face who had a short stint with the Sixers during the back half of the 2023-24 season. He wasn’t on an NBA roster this year, but Philly made a deliberate push to bring him back, going so far as to pay the buyout to pry him away from overseas. That level of intent suggests they see something in him - or perhaps more accurately, they didn’t see a better option.
And that’s where the frustration from the fanbase starts to make sense.
Payne, at this point in his career, is more of a combo guard than a true floor general. He’s capable of scoring in bunches and can give you a spark off the bench, but he’s not the kind of player who’s going to reshape your offense or stabilize your second unit with high-level playmaking. He’s a depth piece - and a serviceable one - but nothing about this move screams “strategic upgrade.”
The timing and optics of the signing don’t help either. Daryl Morey had previously hinted that the McCain trade was a setup for something bigger.
That raised expectations. When the dust settled and Payne was the only addition, it left fans wondering if there was a bigger move at all - or if the Sixers simply miscalculated the market.
There’s also the matter of the buyout market, which still holds some intriguing names, particularly at the guard spot. For a team with playoff aspirations and a need for reliable ball-handling behind Tyrese Maxey, settling on Payne this early feels premature - or at the very least, underwhelming.
This isn’t about Payne not being NBA-caliber. He’s had moments in the league, including solid playoff stretches with Phoenix. But if you're a team trying to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference while Joel Embiid rehabs and Maxey shoulders an increasingly heavy load, bringing in a guard who wasn’t on a roster to start the season doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Ultimately, the Sixers’ decision to trade McCain made sense in isolation. But NBA front offices don’t operate in a vacuum. Moves are judged in context, and when the follow-up is a 29-year-old combo guard who’s been playing in Serbia, it’s fair for fans to wonder what the plan really is - or if there ever was one.
For now, Payne will get his shot to contribute. And maybe he surprises us.
Maybe he finds a groove and gives Philly some much-needed bench production. But if the Sixers were aiming to steady the ship with a bold post-deadline pivot, this wasn’t it.