Orlando Magic Rumors: Orlando Magic to sign Adreian Payne to two-way contract

The Orlando Magic appear set to sign their first official two-way contract, adding former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Adreian Payne, according to reports.

The Orlando Magic roster seems set at 15 players for training camp with roughly a month to go. The only thing that seems left to fill is the team’s two-way contracts and their roster with the Lakeland Magic.

Friday, it appeared the Magic took steps toward that last piece to the puzzle.

The Magic will sign Adreian Payne, international basketball reporter David PIck writes. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel confirmed the signing and that it will be a two-way contract.

Payne last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He appeared in 18 games last year averaging 3.5 points per game. Payne played parts of the 2016 season with the Magic’s D-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks.

The 6-foot-10 forward is a bit of a tweener as a versatile wing player with size. He does not have much of a 3-point shot, but displays a toughness and versatility. At Michigan State, he was the forward the Michigan State Spartans used to try to replace Draymond Green.

He has not quite found his fit in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks drafted him but quickly shipped him to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has appeared in 102 games total, averaging 4.0 points per game for his career.

Last year, he played the majority of his season in China with Guangdong. According to Pick, he turned down $900,000 in guaranteed money to return to the NBA. Even a two-way deal will not guarantee even half that amount.

Payne is a player who is on the fringes of the NBA, for sure. Put in the right system or given the right room to grow and he certainly could develop into a consistent NBA player.

Orlando Magic

This is the way the Magic are going to begin filling their G-League roster. Although, this move may raise some confusion or may raise some signal of the Magic’s intentions.

It is widely assumed the Magic could use one of their two-way slots on Khem Birch. The Magic signed the big man to a multi-year deal. But they kept his guaranteed money low so they would have the option to sign him to a two-way contract if he did not make the team.

Signing a similar player like Adreian Payne to a two-way contract outright might signal Khem Birch is likely to make the roster.

Of course, the Magic’s G-League team needs its bigs. Playing Payne at power forward and Birch at center would be a good tandem. Although, it seems the team would be misplacing its resources investing its two-way contracts in two post players. Especially with the Magic already having a pretty loaded front court.

The team was apparently not done Friday getting itself ready for training camp — and eventually the G-League.

Keith Smith of RealGM reports the Magic will sign Troy Caupain too.

Caupain had a four-year career with the Cincinnati Bearcats. But he had a bit of a down year last year as a senior. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 10.5 points per game and 4.4 assists per game last year.

He can play a bit off the ball too. Caupain shot 40.8 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore, but he shot worse than 35 percent the final two years of his collegiate career. He was a dominant point guard and one of the best players in the American Conference during the last two years.

It seems more likely Caupain will be a training camp invite. He then will get cut and sent down to play in the G-League for the Lakeland Magic.

Orlando may still sign a few more players to its training camp roster. Teams can carry up to 20 players on their training camp roster. They then must cut that roster down to 15. And teams may carry 15 players plus two two-way contracts.

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The Magic appear to have at least 16 of those spots already set with a month to go before training camp.