Pop quiz: who has the most assists in an NBA game so far during the 2024-25 season? Surely, it’s an MVP playmaker like Nikola Jokic or LeBron James, right? No? How about an All-Star in a heliocentric system. Maybe James Harden, Trae Young or Luka Doncic? No such luck. The leader in single-game assists for the 2024-25 season isn’t a star. Until five days ago, he wasn’t even on an NBA roster.

On Monday, Elfrid Payton, yes, the same Elfrid Payton that was once a lottery pick who bounced around the league for eight years, set the bar with 21 assists for the New Orleans Pelicans in a 114-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers. While his assists were the most notable statistic, Payton shined across the board. He finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals in addition to those dimes. The Pelicans won his 31 minutes by 10 points. 

So where has Payton been? After a stint on the bench for the Phoenix Suns during the 2021-22 season, Payton’s limitations as a shooter kept him off of NBA rosters. A 28.9% 3-point shooter for his career entering this season, Payton was forced to rehabilitate his value around the league with stints in the G-League for the Indiana Mad Ants as well as the Osos de Manati, a Puerto Rican team. The Pelicans, his hometown team, gave him a chance to earn a roster spot in training camp, but he ultimately didn’t make the team.

But since then, the Pelicans have suffered a rash of injuries across their entire roster. Virtually every significant player in their rotation has missed time with something, so on Nov. 20, the Pelicans brought Payton back and gave him a real opportunity to not only play, but handle the ball. a necessity given those shooting woes. Without having to play off of the ball quite as much, he’s been able to showcase everything else he brings to a team. That culminated with Monday’s remarkable all-around performance.

The Pelicans have a strong recent history of taking highly-touted prospects that didn’t work out elsewhere and making them productive players. A similar story played out a few years ago when they signed former No. 2 overall pick Jahlil Okafor, who ultimately gave them two productive seasons after washing out with the Philadelphia 76ers. This season, former top high school prospect Brandon Boston Jr. has emerged as a two-way steal for New Orleans after several forgettable seasons with the Clippers.

It’s not clear how much longer Payton will be able to maintain this sort of role in New Orleans. Starting point guard Dejounte Murray is set to return for the Pelicans on Wednesday, so minutes and touches could be harder to come by soon. Still, games like this are rare for anyone, even All-Stars and MVPs. This brief stint as a starter has been a chance for Payton to prove that he still belongs on an NBA roster, and on Monday, he more than delivered.