Atlanta Hawks re-assign Adreian Payne to the NBA D-League per report

Adreian Payne is headed back to the NBA D-League according to a report by Chris Vivlamore but where he is headed is still unknown. Payne wasn't in uniform for Sunday's game when the Hawks took on the Denver Nuggets for unknown reasons. Now we know as Vivlamore reports that Payne was re-assigned to the D-League on Sunday. The problem was, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants already had four NBA players on assignment which is the maximum allowed. That left Payne in a bit of limbo and subject to the NBA's newly created flexible assignment system.

Vivlamore explains:

According to the new rules, one of the 13 NBA teams affiliated with Fort Wayne can still assign a player to the D-League even if there is no available roster spot on the Mad Ants. One of the 17 singly-affiliated teams can volunteer to accept that player. If there is more than one offer, the NBA team can choose the location. If no singly-affiliated team volunteers to accept a player, he will be assigned via a lottery to one of the 10 non-NBA owned D-League teams.

It is not known whether a team has agreed to take Payne or if a lottery will be necessary.

The Hawks recalled Muscala and Jenkins from Fort Wayne on Monday, so it would seem that Payne ending up there is still possible.

The team has yet to announce any move but it was apparent that something was going on when Payne wasn't in uniform on Sunday.