NBA free agent guard Cameron Payne was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona early Friday morning for allegedly giving officers a false report and refusing to provide his name. The news of Payne’s arrest was first reported by TMZ Sports.
Payne, 29, played four seasons for the Phoenix Suns from 2019-2023. He was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft from Murray State. Throughout his nine-year NBA career, Payne has played for multiple teams including the Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers.
In February, the Bucks traded Payne to the Sixers along with a second-round pick in exchange for Patrick Beverley. During his time with Philadelphia, Payne averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 38% on 3-pointers in 31 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he played five games and averaged 5.3 points while shooting 44% on 3-pointers.
As a free agent, Payne is currently seeking a new team, with reports suggesting that the Sixers are interested in re-signing him as a backup to point guard Tyrese Maxey. However, details of any potential agreement are yet to be disclosed and it remains unclear if this will affect his future with the team or not.
According to the Scottsdale Police Department, officers were called to investigate a disturbance at around 2:44 a.m., where they found two individuals at the scene – one of them being Payne – but details of what led to the investigation were not released.
Payne was subsequently arrested and booked at the Scottsdale City Jail but was released shortly after.
The incident is still under investigation and further details are yet to come out.
