Death of former first-round pick Adreian Payne ruled as homicide

It was reported back in May that former NBA first-round pick Adreian Payne tragically passed away at the age of 31. It has now been revealed that his untimely death has been ruled a homicide.

Tamantha Gunn of E! Online obtained the autopsy report of Payne, who played four years in the NBA between 2014 and 2018. According to the aforementioned report, the cause of death was determined to be a “gunshot wound of the arm and chest” and that his passing has officially been ruled a homicide.

Payne was reportedly shot in front of his home in Orange County, Florida back on May 9. The shooter was later identified as Lawrence Dority, who was arrested for first-degree murder.

Before being drafted as the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Payne spent four years in Michigan State. He made his name with the Spartans, averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior.

Thanks to his strong performance in college, the Atlanta Hawks decided to use their first-round pick on him in 2014. He played just three games with the Hawks, though, before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a future first-round pick.

It was in Minnesota that Adreian Payne spent the majority of his NBA career, playing a total of 99 games for the team over the course of two and a half seasons. Payne also played for the Orlando Magic during the 2017-18 season on a two-way deal. He then took his talents overseas, playing in different countries that included China, Turkey, Lithuania, Greece, and France.