Former Gonzaga guard signs with French club JL Bourg Basket
After two years in the NBA and G-League, Joel Ayayi’s first professional season back home in France ended in the opening round of the LNB Elite playoffs, when the former Gonzaga guard and his Nanterre 92 team lost to JL Bourg Basket in a three-game series.
Next season, Ayayi will be competing for the team that knocked him out of the French playoffs, signing a contract with JL Bourg, the club announced Friday on its social media platforms.
JL Bourg, a team led by potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, finished fourth in the regular-season LNB Elite standings, one spot higher than Ayayi’s Nanterre 92 team.
The 24-year-old guard appeared in 37 games last season for Nanterre 92, averaging 8.4 points while shooting 56% on 2-point shots, 37% on 3-pointers and 68% from the free throw line. Ayayi, who averaged 23.7 minutes per game, also averaged 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Ayayi’s season-high came during a March 23 game against his new club when the guard scored 26 points on 11 of 15 from the field while also adding eight rebounds and seven assists.
Before returning to France, the Bordeaux native spent two seasons playing in the United States, signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after going undrafted in 2021.
Ayayi was ultimately waived by Los Angeles after spending two months with the G-League South Bay Lakers and signed another two-way contract with the Washington Wizards and their G-League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
He played in seven regular-season games for the Wizards during the 2021-22 campaign, averaging 2.9 minutes during his brief NBA stint.
Ayayi joined the Atlanta Hawks for 2022 NBA Summer League, spent the 2022-23 season with the Lakeland Magic, a G-League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, and suited up for the Memphis Grizzlies during 2023 NBA Summer League.
Last summer, Ayayi was named an alternate for France’s FIBA World Cup roster and made his senior team debut during an exhibition game against Lithuania. Ayayi was not one of the 19 players selected to represent France at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
