Elfrid Payton
Elfrid Payton Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 22, 1994 Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Elfrid Payton Jr. (born February 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently played for the New Orleans Pelicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He competed at the collegiate level for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, where he was honored with the Lefty Driesell Award as the nation's top defensive college player in 2014. Payton was chosen as the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, but was immediately traded to the Orlando Magic.
College career
Coming from John Ehret High School in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Payton enrolled at Louisiana–Lafayette. After a solid freshman year (2011–12), he significantly improved during his sophomore season (2012–13), posting averages of 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.4 steals per contest, which earned him first team All-Sun Belt Conference recognition.
Following his sophomore campaign, Payton was selected for Team USA’s roster at the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. Starting in all nine games alongside players such as Marcus Smart, Aaron Gordon, and Jahlil Okafor, he played a key role in leading the team to an undefeated 9–0 run and securing the gold medal.
In his junior year (2013–14), Payton established himself as one of the premier defensive players nationwide, elevating his statistics to 19.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He guided Louisiana to a berth in the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, repeated as a first team All-Sun Belt selection, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors within the conference, and received the Lefty Driesell Award as the nation’s best defensive player.
Payton declared for the NBA draft in April 2014, opting to forgo his senior season of college eligibility.
2014–15 season
On June 26, 2014, Payton was drafted tenth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014 NBA draft, but was traded that same evening to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Dario Šarić and future selections. He inked his rookie contract with Orlando on July 2. Payton made his NBA debut on October 29, 2014, facing off against the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 16, 2015, he achieved a season-best performance with 22 points and 12 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies, earning him Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for January as well as an invitation to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge.
On March 18, Payton notched his inaugural career triple-double by tallying 15 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds during a defeat to the Dallas Mavericks. Just two days later, he recorded back-to-back triple-doubles—scoring 22 points along with grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists—becoming both the first player in Magic history and first NBA rookie since Antoine Walker in 1997 to accomplish this feat. This effort helped secure a 111–104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
2015–16 season
Payton scored a then-career-high of 24 points on November 18, 2015, contributing to a narrow 104–101 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He maintained a streak of appearing in his first 116 consecutive games before a left ankle injury forced him to miss four contests in January 2016. Upon returning off the bench on January 14 during a London matchup versus the Toronto Raptors, he posted four points and four rebounds in a closely contested overtime loss of 106–103. On March 23, 2016, Payton recorded his third career triple-double with totals of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists despite a 118–102 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
2016–17 season
On December 6, 2016, Payton tallied 22 points out of his then career-best 25 during the first half of the Magic's 124–116 triumph over the Washington Wizards. A week later, he surpassed his personal records by posting 26 points and 14 assists in a 131–120 win against the Atlanta Hawks. On January 14, 2017, he achieved a new career-high with 28 points, alongside nine rebounds and nine assists, despite the team's loss to the Utah Jazz.
Payton secured his initial triple-double of the season on March 6, delivering 16 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds in a defeat to the New York Knicks. He then followed up with a back-to-back triple-double performance—22 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists—in a victory over the Chicago Bulls. On March 13, he recorded his third triple-double of the campaign with totals of 13 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings. Maintaining his impressive form, on March 24 he notched his fourth triple-double in ten games and seventh overall by contributing 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win versus the Detroit Pistons.
On March 31, Payton set a career-high with 15 assists while adding 12 points and nine rebounds during a close loss to the Boston Celtics. He concluded the season on April 1 by posting his fifth triple-double—20 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds—in a defeat at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets.
2017–18 season
Early in the 2017–18 season, Payton was sidelined for eight games due to a left hamstring injury. Upon his return on November 8, he contributed an efficient double-double of 11 points and 11 assists over 29 minutes to help end the Magic’s two-game losing streak with a 112–99 victory against the New York Knicks. On November 22, he reached a season-best of 13 assists during a narrow 124–118 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, on December 23, Payton set a new career scoring peak by putting up 30 points in a 130–103 defeat to the Washington Wizards.
Phoenix Suns (2018)
On February 8, 2018, Payton was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a second-round draft pick in that year's NBA draft. He made his Suns debut two days later by scoring 19 points along with nine assists and six rebounds in a close loss to the Denver Nuggets, finishing at 123–113. In just his second game on February 12, Payton led Phoenix with a team-high of 29 points during a heavy defeat against the Golden State Warriors, losing by a score of 129–83. Shortly after, on February 14, he achieved a triple-double featuring 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in a narrow loss to the Utah Jazz. On March 4, he added another triple-double performance—11 points, ten rebounds, and a season-high of fourteen assists—in a tight one-point defeat versus the Atlanta Hawks. His accomplishment of two triple-doubles within nine games established a franchise record for fewest games needed by any Suns player to reach that milestone twice.
New Orleans Pelicans (2018–2019)
Payton signed with his hometown franchise, the New Orleans Pelicans, on July 9, 2018. In his first appearance on October 17 that year, he recorded an all-around triple-double with ten points, ten rebounds, and ten assists during a commanding 131–112 win over the Houston Rockets, marking his eleventh career triple-double. After missing nine games due to an ankle sprain, Payton returned on November 16 against the New York Knicks but soon suffered a fractured finger that sidelined him for six weeks. He made his comeback on December 31 facing the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending a stretch of twenty-two missed contests.
On January 2, Payton contributed twenty-five points in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Throughout March of 2019, he delivered multiple triple-double performances: on March 10 against the Atlanta Hawks, March 12 versus the Milwaukee Bucks, and March 15 facing the Portland Trail Blazers. His fourth consecutive triple-double came on March 16 during an overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, placing him among an elite group—including players like James Harden, Magic Johnson, and Russell Westbrook—as only one of eight players since the NBA’s introduction of official statistics in the ’83–84 season to achieve four straight triple-doubles.
Payton extended this remarkable streak to five consecutive triple-doubles on March 18 as he played a pivotal role in securing a thrilling overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks with a final score of 129–125. This feat tied Chris Paul for holding the franchise record for most triple-doubles within one season and positioned Payton among just five NBA legends—including Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan—who have recorded five straight triple-doubles.
New York Knicks (2019–2021)
On July 9, 2019, Payton agreed to a two-year contract with the New York Knicks. He encountered injury setbacks early in the season, leading to a 17-game absence. After recovering, Payton improved the team's playmaking capabilities and earned a spot in the starting lineup. On January 31, 2020, he was suspended for one game due to an altercation involving Jae Crowder during a contest against the Memphis Grizzlies. Shortly after, on February 3, Payton notched the 17th triple-double of his professional career by tallying 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists in a 139–134 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the subsequent matchup on February 6, he contributed 15 points, nine assists, and a personal best of seven steals in a narrow 105–103 win against the Orlando Magic. On November 19, 2020, the Knicks released Payton but brought him back on November 29 under a reported one-year agreement.
Return to Phoenix (2021–2022)
Payton rejoined the Phoenix Suns by signing with them on August 10, 2021.
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2023)
Reports on February 6, 2023 indicated that Payton would join Osos de Manatí competing in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Two days later, his player rights were acquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Osos de Manatí (2023)
On March 31, 2023, Payton officially inked a deal with Osos de Manatí in Puerto Rico's professional basketball league.
Indiana Mad Ants (2023–2024)
Payton signed with the Indiana Pacers on September 29, 2023 but was waived the following day. Subsequently, on October 15, he served as an emergency replacement for one game with the Cairns Taipans during an NBLxNBA preseason encounter against the Toronto Raptors.
He returned to the Indiana Mad Ants on October 28, 2023. Throughout the 2023–24 NBA G League season, Payton led all players in assists per game and was named to the All–NBA G League Third Team, playing a key role in guiding the Mad Ants to the playoffs. On October 3, 2024, following his signing of a training camp contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, his rights were traded from the Mad Ants to the Birmingham Squadron in exchange for Landers Nolley II’s rights.
New Orleans Pelicans / Birmingham Squadron (2024–2025)
Payton signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on October 11, 2024 but was released five days later. He then joined the Birmingham Squadron on October 28 and re-signed with New Orleans on November 20. That same night, he made his season debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers, posting 11 points, five rebounds, and eight assists across 22 minutes in a 128–100 defeat. On November 25, he set a new career record by distributing 21 assists during a close 114–110 loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Pelicans waived him on December 3; four days later he returned to Birmingham.
Charlotte Hornets (2025)
On February 7, 2025, Payton secured a 10-day contract with the Charlotte Hornets, which was extended by another similar contract on February 18. Across six appearances with Charlotte, he averaged one point, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
New Orleans Pelicans (2025)
On March 21, 2025, Payton inked a 10-day agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans, marking his third engagement with the franchise during that season. Across his initial seven appearances, he posted averages of 6.7 points, 6.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 2.9 turnovers per game. Subsequently, on April 2, Payton secured a second 10-day deal with the Pelicans. This was followed by a two-year standard contract signed on April 11, enabling him to compete in the season's final game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
National team career
During the summer of 2013, Payton was chosen to represent the United States at the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, where he averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds across nine contests.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 82 || 63 || 30.3 || .425 || .262 || .551 || 4.3 || 6.5 || 1.7 || .2 || 8.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 73 || 69 || 29.4 || .436 || .326 || .589 || 3.6 || 6.4 || 1.2 || .3 || 10.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 58 || 29.4 || .471 || .274 || .692 || 4.7 || 6.5 || 1.1 || .5 || 12.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 44 || 44 || 28.6 || .520 || .373 || .632 || 4.0 || 6.3 || 1.5 || .4 || 13.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 19 || 19 || 29.0 || .435 || .200 || .685 || 5.3 || 6.2 || 1.0 || .3 || 11.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 42 || 42 || 29.8 || .434 || .314 || .743 || 5.2 || 7.6 || 1.0 || .4 || 10.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New York | 45 || 36 || 27.7 || .439 || .203 || .570 || 4.7 || 7.2 || 1.6 || .4 || 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New York | 63 || 63||23.6|| .432|| .286|| .682||3.4||3.2|| .7|| .1||10.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix |50||1||11.0|| .383|| .222|| .375||1.8||2.0|| .5|| .1||3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |
| style="text-align:left;" |New Orleans |7||3||20.5|| .500|| .000|| .500||3.4||6.9||1.4|| .4||6.7 |- |style="text-align:left;" |Charlotte |6||2||20.6|| .143|| —|| —||2.2||3.3||1.0|| .5||1.0
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career |513||400||26.6|| .446|| .287|| .623||4.0||5.7||1.2|| .3||9.9
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |2021 | style="text-align:left;" |New York | 2 || 2 || 6.5 || .000 || —|| .500 || .0 || .5 || .5 ||=0 ||=0 |- | style="text-align:left;" |2022 | style="text-align:left;" |Phoenix | 2 ||=0 ||=3.8 ||= '.667' ||= — ||= — ||=0 ||= '1.'5 ||=0 ||=0 ||= '2.'0 |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career |4||2||5.2|| .250|| —|| .500||0|||1|||0|||0|||1.3
College
|- | style="text-align:left;"|2011–12 | style="text-align:left;"|Louisiana | 32 || 10 || 22.7 || .448 || .000 || .564 || 3.6 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .3 || 7.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2012–13 | style="text-align:left;"|Louisiana | 33 || 33 || 35.5 || .475 || .320 || .643 || 5.6 || 5.5 || 2.4 || .6 || 15.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2013–14 | style="text-align:left;"|Louisiana | 35 || 35 || 35.9 || .509 || .259 || .609 || 6.0 || 5.9 || 2.3 || .6 || 19.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 100 || 78 || 31.6 || .485 || .268 || .611 || 5.1 || 4.9 || 2.0 || .5 || 14.3
Personal life
Payton is the son of Elfrid Payton, a former athlete in the Canadian Football League, underscoring a family tradition in professional sports.
During the initial phase of his NBA career, Payton was recognized for his unique, flowing hairstyle, which enhanced his popularity among fans, notably throughout his period with the Orlando Magic, until he opted to trim it in May 2018.
External links
- 1994 births
- Living people
- 21st-century African-American sportsmen
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Louisiana
- Birmingham Squadron players
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants players
- Indiana Mad Ants players
- John Ehret High School alumni
- Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball players
- New Orleans Pelicans players
- New York Knicks players
- Charlotte Hornets players
- Orlando Magic players
- Osos de Manatí players
- People from Gretna, Louisiana
- Philadelphia 76ers draft picks
- Phoenix Suns players
- Point guards
- Sportspeople from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
- United States men's national basketball team players