The Philadelphia 76ers are in a fix as they are going to miss All-Star player Paul George for the majority of this regular season due to a 25-game ban. So though the Sixers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, they still need reinforcements to support the troika of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and rookie star VJ Edgecombe. Therefore, they have made a stopgap signing to help them for the time being.

The Sixers have signed Cameron Payne for the rest of the 2025-26 season, as per league sources Marc Stein. Payne, who was currently playing in Serbia for KK Partizan, will now return to the NBA to suit up for the Sixers. Interestingly, he signed a contract with KK Partizan in December 2025, heading overseas for the first time in his career.

According to Eurohoops journalist Jonny Askounis speculated on his departure from KK Partizan as he was held out in recent games. He only featured in 10 games, averaging 12.4 points, 3.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. As per Askounis, KK Partizan will receive a sum of $1.75MM in a buyout agreement.

The 31-year-old combo-guard has previously suited up for the Sixers at the latter half of the 2023-24 season. He brings a lot of experience and decent scoring efficiency as a perimeter scorer for the Sixers. He could be a good bench option for Nick Nurse, especially for the time period he will be missing Paul George.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to address their roster issues amid Paul George’s suspension

The Sixers started 2026 with a major setback. Just when they were getting in the groove, and both their star players – Embiid and George were getting good minutes under their belt after returning from injuries, the latter was handed a 25-game suspension. He used a banned substance, violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

He will return on March 25, when only 10 regular-season games will be remaining for the Sixers. So they have to be at their best to achieve the best ranking going into the postseason. Amidst all of this, the Sixers made a surprising move as they sent away former first-round pick Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder just for draft compensation. So they addressed their backcourt depth by signing Payne.

They showed determination to sign the NBA veteran by paying a transfer fee, so they are pretty use about what he brings to this roster. Also, he has played for the Sixers earlier, and so it shouldn’t be much of a problem for the wing.

Payne last played for the New York Knicks in the NBA in 2024, averaging 6.9 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 rebounds over 72 games. The Sixers are in desperate need of a ball-handler after McCain’s departure, so Payne fits in their rotation ahead of Kyle Lowry and others.

The Sixers’ decision, while not earth-shattering, provides a sense of security in a difficult situation. This season, Maxey has been overburdened with playmaking and ball-handling responsibilities. He has been averaging 38.6 minutes per game in 52 appearances. So Payne’s addition will surely reduce the burden on Maxey and provide Nurse with more depth.

The Sixers will hope that Payne brings his impact, leadership, and ball-handling skills to the team and allows them to stay afloat in a respectable position in the Eastern Conference until Paul George returns.