Report: After 2 practices, Bulls knew Payne wasn't an NBA talent
It apparently didn't take long for the Chicago Bulls to sour on one of last year's deadline acquisitions.
A member of Bulls brass was less than impressed after Chicago acquired Cameron Payne from the Oklahoma City Thunder in February, saying he realized right away that the 6-foot-3 guard wasn't a good fit for the team, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reports.
"We knew the second practice (after he was acquired) that he couldn’t play at (an NBA) level," a source told Cowley. "The only reason it took two practices was because we thought maybe it was nerves in the first one.
"Any (Bulls) coach who says differently is lying. ... We got 'Garred' on that one."
The source was referring to Bulls general manager Gar Forman, who has fallen out of favor during his eight-plus years as GM.
Payne played in just 11 games for the Bulls following the trade, averaging 4.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on just 33.3 percent shooting.
The 23-year-old reportedly underwent surgery on his right foot earlier this week - his third operation in the past 14 months.