Carolina Sports News

Carolina Sports News

Hornets Offer Contract To Veteran Playmaker

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Charlotte Hornets point guard Elfrid Payton

The Charlotte Hornets have opted to bring veteran point guard Elfrid Payton back on a second 10-day contract, according to multiple reports. After playing two games with the Hornets and seven games with the New Orleans Pelicans, Payton’s averaged 5.7 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in 2024-25. The 2024 No. 10 pick holds career averages of 10.0 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Hornets Sign Veteran Elfrid Payton To Second 10-Day Contract

In his last contest, he tallied four points, seven assists, and one block in 32 minutes. Due to 2020 No. 3 pick LaMelo Ball missing the game with an ankle injury, the 30-year-old found himself starting in his fourth game this season. That being said, with Charlotte trading Vasilije Micic to the Phoenix Suns, Payton is now the team’s second-best facilitator.

In fact, when considering Payton’s ball-control, he’s arguably their top distributor.

If the Hornets decide to sign him for the remainder of the season after his second and final 10-day contract expires, his mastery as a floor general and Ball’s frequent injuries will likely be two major factors. His ability to be a playmaker at the defensive end also sticks out for a young team that thrives in the open court.

Speaking of the team’s youth, Payton’s experience may also give him a leg up, as they likely don’t want to be overreliant on rookie KJ Simpson.

Improving Depth On The Margins

If there’s a reason that the Hornets bypass signing Payton for the remainder of the season, it could come down to his well-known limitations. Because he’s essentially restricted to scoring inside the arc, he’s not an ideal replacement for a player like Ball. That’s particularly true when he’s running an offense that likes to get three-pointers up in general.

Furthermore, even though Charlotte recently replaced Isaiah Wong with Wendell Moore Jr., their point guard depth improved with their signing of Damion Baugh.

To that point, Wong is more of a scoring-minded hybrid guard than a pass-first playmaker. That was the case even in college. Meanwhile, Baugh is more of a true point guard. Before the Hornets signed him last week, he was averaging 9.6 assists per game for the Westchester Knicks in 2024-25. Keep in mind that he averaged 5.1 assists per game at TCU.

At the same time, Baugh offers more of a scoring punch than Payton.

Indeed, the 16 points he scored in his NBA debut are more than Payton’s scored in his last five games combined.

© Mike Watters-Imagn Images

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