NEW ORLEANS – Former Louisiana standout Elfrid Payton opens the 2019-20 NBA season as the lone former Sun Belt Conference men's basketball player on the league’s active opening-night rosters when the regular season tips off Tuesday night.
 
Entering his sixth NBA season, Payton is in his first season as a member of the New York Knicks. He signed a two-year deal with the team on July 9 after playing the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Knicks open the season Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. CT on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.
 
In 42 games last season with the Pelicans, Payton averaged 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists. Previously, the former Ragin' Cajun played three full seasons with the Orlando Magic and spent the 2017-18 season with the Magic and Phoenix Suns.
 
The Sun Belt boasts a trio of alumni roaming the sidelines for the upcoming season. Former Appalachian State star Alvin Gentry enters his fifth season as the Pelicans' head coach and his 17th season as an NBA head coach. The conference also has two alums serving as assistant coaches – UTA’s Kaleb Canales (New York Knicks) and South Alabama’s Dale Osbourne (Portland Trail Blazers).
 
This summer, five former Sun Belt standouts saw time in the MGM Grand NBA Summer League 2019 in Las Vegas, headlined by UTA's Kevin Hervey (Oklahoma City Thunder) mentioned twice as a Summer League Standout on NBA.com.