Chicago Bulls 2017-18 player preview: Cameron Payne

Can the Chicago Bulls get anything out of Cameron Payne this season?

Just prior to the trade deadline last season, the Chicago Bulls made an ill-advised trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the deal, the Bulls sent Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick in exchange for Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow.

Trading Gibson made sense since he was an upcoming free agent, but right now, that deal looks awful. McDermott is a disappointment but he provides some value as an outside shooter. Out of the three players the Bulls’ acquired, Payne is the only player left on the Bulls’ roster. Plus, they unnecessarily gave up a second-round pick that could have turned into a player who can help them down the line.

Based on what we have seen out of Payne in a Chicago Bulls uniform, I don’t think anybody expects him to make much of an impact player in 2017/18. Payne once had a fair bit of upside as a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He is quick and relatively athletic for a point guard and showed the ability to attack the rim off of the dribble.

However, Payne has never been able to round out his game. He is a career 32-percent 3-point shooter, which isn’t awful, but it hasn’t been enough to create space on the floor. Payne’s overall offensive game is lacking, he makes far too many mistakes and is a poor defender.

Simply put, Payne has been awful since joining the Bulls, both last season and in his short stint in the NBA Summer League. He is reckless with the ball in his hands and has never been able to grow into a legitimate distributor from the point guard position. His quickness and athleticism still give him some upside, but expecting him to reach it would be foolish.

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The Bulls are expected to give a majority of their point guard minutes to newcomer Kris Dunn. Dunn had a disappointing rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, but he was a top five pick just a year ago. There is at least a chance that Dunn can turn it around.

At this point, Payne turning his career around is unlikely. He will begin the season as the Bulls’ primary backup point guard, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t make it through the year. Personally, I have zero expectations for Payne this season.