Up top we have some nice Gustavo Ayon highlights, from an NBA career-best 18-point performance back in February when he played for the Atlanta Hawks.
Ayon also showed some skill during this summer’s FIBA World Cup, and the free agent big man had some NBA teams interested, most notably the San Antonio Spurs.
But a formal offer never came, and Ayon chose to take the paycheck overseas, even though his preference was to remain in the states. The money was significant enough to where making the jump was an easy decision.
From David Pick of Eurobasket.com:According to sources with knowledge of the pact between the former NBA big man and the Spanish club, Ayon penned a three-year offer sheet worth 5.2 million Euros total.
Madrid, sources say, can opt-out between years two-and-three; for a buyout fee, Ayon holds an escape clause to the NBA each summer.NBA teams will monitor Ayon’s progress, and it’s possible he’s back relatively soon. But considering the fact that size is usually at a premium, it’s a bit curious that he wasn’t able to convince a team to come up with a similar deal to keep him stateside -- for the upcoming season, at the very least.