Having started 397 of the 504 games that he's played in since joining the NBA, nobody can blame 29-year-old Elfrid Payton for wanting another shot at being in the NBA.

Currently playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a quality G League team affiliated with the Indiana Pacers, Payton has averaged 8.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 21.0 minutes per game.

Those numbers don't particularly stick out for their volume. Instead, they highlight the steadiness of Payton. A player who simply plays his game.

Payton, speaking to AllPacers about his desire to return to the NBA, says that joining the Mad Ants “was something that [he] thought [he] could do to help [his] career.”

However, while “the ultimate goal is to get back into the NBA,” Payton hasn't been speaking to any NBA teams about signing a contract.

“Maybe my agent [has],” Payton reveals.

“[I've] been talking to the GM down here. Stuff like that. That hasn't really been my focus. I'm just enjoying the journey. Trying to get better every day. Trying to help these guys as much as I can, give them as much knowledge about the NBA and what's expected, stuff like that.”

“I'm enjoying the journey just wherever this takes me, man.”

Drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2014, Payton has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the NBA.

At first, Payton's career looked promising, with the University of Louisiana – Lafayette product making the All-Rookie team after averaging 8.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately for Payton, guards were being looked at to score and stretch defenses more than ever; his skillset started to be look outdated.

With the league less focused on finding a Steph Curry remake, now may be Payton's best chance to make a comeback.