Pacers quietly signed rival guard to address major backcourt needs

It's not a flashy move, but it may be an important one: The Indiana Pacers announced that they have signed veteran point guard Cam Payne to a training camp contract on Thursday.

In a subsequent move, they have waived Delon Wright, who was also on a training camp deal, after suffering a head injury during the team's preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Payne is a veteran NBA guard who has played for several teams since entering the league in 2015. Most notably for Pacers fans, he spent the last two years with some of the team's biggest rivals in the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and, most recently, the New York Knicks.

During his season in New York last year, the Memphis native averaged 6.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc.

Cam Payne will help the Pacers' point guard depth

While Payne is not an All-Star-level guard, he does address a big need for the Pacers as they prepare for the regular season: their point guard depth.

With Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf for a full season as he recovers from an Achilles injury, the Pacers will slide Andrew Nembhard over to the point full-time. This move can work out as Nembhard is a natural point guard, but Indiana loses a big part of its depth as he is now a primary ball-handler, not a secondary one.

The Pacers will continue to utilize T.J. McConnell as their primary backup point guard, which is a role he thrives in. However, he already suffered a hamstring injury in preseason, making it clear that the team needs to add some depth behind him.

Indiana landed Marquette guard Kam Jones in this year's draft. While he looked good in summer league, it still remains to be seen exactly which guard position he is going to play. Additionally, even in a season that will be heavy on experimentation for the Pacers, putting this much trust in a second-round pick right away may be misguided.

The Pacers also have two intriguing options on two-way contracts in Quenton Jackson and RayJ Dennis, but given that they already signed Payne and Wright (and Monte Morris, sort of) in the offseason, it is safe to assume that they do not want to call on them too much. At least not yet.

Payne is never going to be the best player on the court for Indiana, but he can still provide a lot of value.

The Murray State alum is a good playmaker with solid court vision, which is really all the Pacers need out of a third point guard. Additionally, he is more than a capable three-point shooter, shooting a career 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Indiana's decision to sign Payne will not have much bearing on how much success the team has this season, given his role, but it is still an acquisition worth talking about. The Pacers desperately needed a third point guard in the rotation, and Payne can be that because of his veteran experience and value as a playmaker and shooter.

Preseason is still not over for the Pacers, and Payne will have to showcase his worth on the court. However, as it stands, it is looking like he could be in line for a real opportunity with the team as they look to temporarily navigate through life without Haliburton.