Payne was selected 14th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Having played for seven different teams in the NBA, namely the Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, Payne was one of the key players on the Suns team that reached the 2021 NBA Finals. The experienced point guard averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 assists in 499 regular-season games and appeared in 72 playoff games. In 2026, Payne set his career high with 32 points against the Memphis Grizzlies while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 23, 2025, Payne signed with Partizan, beginning his first experience in Europe. In 10 EuroLeague games, Payne averaged 12.4 points, 3.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.