For the past three seasons, Gustavo Ayon has been a pleasant surprise off the bench for NBA teams. He's been a mostly effective big man in limited minutes, providing solid scoring and rebounding numbers when he's put on the floor. He also did a fantastic job of helping the Mexico national team during the 2014 FIBA World Cup by leading them to the Round of 16. However, he won't be in the NBA for the next two years.
Real Madrid's basketball club announced on Tuesday they've reached a two-year agreement with Ayon. This will be his second stint playing in the ACB Spanish league after spending 2009 to 2011 in Spain with Fuenlabrada. From Real Madrid:
Gustavo Alfonso Ayón (1 April 1985, Tepic, Mexico) is now a Real Madrid player for the next two seasons. The leader of the best Mexican national team in history, he joins the Whites having played in the NBA for the past three campaigns and is notable for his physical strength, defensive solidity and effectiveness below the rim.
A power forward measuring 2.07m, Ayón can also play at 5 thanks to his power and athletic capacity. He is a player who is mobile in the paint, who is a good passer and whose chief strengths are his ability on rebounds at both ends of the court and his effective inside game. He is very good at the pick and roll and stands out in defence through his solidity.
In his three seasons in the NBA, Ayon played for three different teams. He debuted with the New Orleans Pelicans (Hornets back then) in the 2011-12 season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.1 minutes. He was traded to the Orlando Magic for the 2012-13 season and then was dealt at the trade deadline by the Magic to the Milwaukee Bucks. Overall that season, Ayon averaged 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 13.3 minutes over 55 games. He signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks last season and in just 26 games averaged 4.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 16.5 minutes.
During the FIBA World Cup, Ayon led Mexico to a 2-4 record and led the team with 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while making 61 percent of his shots.
