Going from 30 minutes a night in the NBA to a G League player probably wasn’t in the cards for Elfrid Payton when he got drafted.
From star player to veteran, the nine-year NBA veteran recently signed with the Austin Spurs after a stint with the International Basketball Federation, obtaining a new role as mentor in the facilitation of the team.
The former 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Payton opened up his career with the Orlando Magic, where he finished fourth in voting for Rookie of the Year.
The 32-year-old from Louisiana spent the next two years with the Magic, and after that, he bounced around the NBA, playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, before ending up in FIBA and Puerto Rico.
In his NBA tenure, Payton averaged 26.5 minutes per night, posting 9.8 points with 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 44.4% from the field, 28.6% from deep and 62.3% from the charity stripe.
As the oldest player on the Spurs roster by four years and the only player from a 2010s draft class, for the first time in Payton’s career, his role in mentoring the young guys comes as a priority in his contributions to the team.
“(I) take pride in (the little) stuff,” Payton said when asked about what he emphasizes most in his play style with the team. “Getting guys good looks … (so) everybody feels like they have a chance to score.”
Payton aims to boost team cohesion by playing unselfishly, which he has done throughout his entire career.
“He’s very calm. For me, it’s having another coach on the floor,” Austin Spurs head coach Jacob Chance said. “His ability to push the pace right now has been a good difference factor for us.”
Posting 5.8 assists per night in the NBA is not common, and with that number, Payton is ranked as 72nd all-time in assists per game in the NBA — ahead of the likes of Kyrie Irving, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
With his experience in the NBA, FIBA and Puerto Rico, Payton knows what it takes to play and stay at the highest level of basketball. Past leading through example, Payton aims to do the same with his guidance.
“Enjoy the journey,” Payton said when asked about what he tells his teammates. “Just grind, keep your head down, control what you can control. It’s gonna be a lot of ups and downs throughout this thing.”
Coming back from playing with the Birmingham Squadron in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers, Payton settled in with the Austin Spurs during his month back in the United States.
“He’s such a great role model for these younger guys,” Chance said. “I really respect how coachable he’s been. He’s come in, he’s trying to learn, he’s trying to help, he’s just trying to win.”
In his nine games back from FIBA, the Spurs finished 6-3 in the regular season, pushing them into the G League Playoffs. Austin faced the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where they fell short in the first round, 117-106 on Tuesday, ending their season.
