Jeff Ayres Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Ayres, NBA Together, Olympics, Season

March 21st, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by JD Shaw

The Japanese B League has announced it will once again postpone its season after recently attempting to resume play, Jonathon Givony of ESPN writes.

The league will be postponed until after April 1 following a “chaotic weekend” of games which revealed that multiple safety issues still remain for its players, coaches and teams, Givony notes. The league was originally postponed on Feb. 26.

“I decided not to practice or play due to concern regarding how the league, and my team specifically, was doing to keep players safe,” said former NBA player Jeff Ayres, a member of the Ryukyu Golden Kings. “I felt we were putting ourselves at risk. It was a reckless environment.”

Ayres joins a number of international players who chose to return home amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. State Department recently issued an advisory that suggests all U.S. citizens traveling overseas return home unless they plan to live outside the country indefinitely.

“Being able to come home was a big deal for me,” Ayres said. “What if they declared a state of emergency and closed the borders? I wasn’t going to miss the birth of my child. The league wasn’t doing anything to prevent us from getting sick and had no procedures in place for what would happen if someone contracted the virus. My team in particular was not taking any of the measures that were recommended, such as taking players’ temperatures daily, until it was already too late. The league was pressuring players to play in games due to pressure from sponsors, and my team was being dismissive of our concerns.”

Ayres also mentioned that the team threatened to terminate his contract over his decision to leave, claiming that it has the situation under control.

Here are some other odds and ends from the basketball world:

The NBA has launched a global ‘NBA Together’ campaign in response to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to support, engage, educate and inspire youth, families and fans during the league’s unprecedented hiatus. As part of the campaign, the NBA has committed to help raise more than $50MM to support people impacted by COVID-19 around the world. The league will have a member of the NBA family participate in a live interview every weekday at 3:00pm ET, stream classic games on NBA TV and other social platforms, and offer a free preview of League Pass to fans until April 22.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated examines why he believes the Olympics will be postponed, with COVID-19 likely to force organizers to push the dates of each event back. The Olympics are currently set to take place from July 24 to August 9 in Tokyo, Japan.
The NBA’s worst off-court season in recent memory took another hit with the coronavirus pandemic, Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY writes. The season started with off-court troubles between the league and China that stemmed from a controversial tweet by Daryl Morey, progressed to the tragic deaths of former NBA commissioner David Stern and legendary Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and culminated in a suspended season due to COVID-19.

Former Spur Jeff Ayres To Play In Japan

September 4th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Jeff Ayres will be returning to Japan for the 2018/19 season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who relays a report from BasketballKing.jp. As Carchia details, Ayres has signed with Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Ayres, formerly known as Jeff Pendergraph, was drafted by the Kings in 2009 and traded to Portland on draft night. While Ayres made his NBA debut with the Trail Blazers that season, he only appeared in 39 games for Portland, eventually spending time with the Pacers, Spurs, and Clippers over the course of several seasons.

The 31-year-old’s most recent NBA stint came in 2015/16, when he played in 17 games for the Clippers, but his most notable stretch came in San Antonio from 2013 to 2015, when he averaged 10.8 minutes per contest in 124 regular season games for the Spurs. The former Arizona State standout appeared in 17 playoff games for the Spurs in 2014 en route to an NBA title.

Since his last NBA appearance, Ayres has spent time in the G League, Japan, and Turkey. During his first stint in Japan, he played for Alvark Tokyo.

And-Ones: Sellers, Superteams, Ayres

August 12th, 2017 at 9:08am CST by Austin Kent

After a quiet offseason, the Magic could be one of the league’s biggest sellers, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes. Other teams that could look to aggressively shop their assets include the Suns and Hawks.

Orlando’s front office was smart to lay low and gauge their own in-house talent, Kyler says, now they’ll look to start shaping their future with a number of notable trade chips ranging from Nikola Vucevic on a $12.3MM contract to D.J. Augustin ($7.3MM).

Phoenix, having stockpiled youth for years, could be in a similar boat, eager to unload contributing pieces to the highest bidder. While linked to Kyrie Irving for much of the past few weeks, the Suns won’t be afraid to shop players like Tyson Chandler or Eric Bledsoe around elsewhere if it means they can improve their standing as a franchise.

Kyler notes that the Hawks, fresh off of a summer that saw them part ways with Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard, could be in the market to deal. The club, he says, is in full-rebuild mode now after a year of half measures.

The Nuggets, Bulls and Lakers, Kyler says, could also be sellers over the course of the 2017/18 campaign.

There’s more from around the league.

Former NBA big man Jeff Ayres has signed a contract to play with Eskisehir Basket in Turkey, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports.
An ESPN Insider report penned by Kevin Pelton zeroes in on the league’s most recent transactions, suggesting that the Knicks‘ move to land Michael Beasley could reflect that the organization is bracing for a future without Carmelo Anthony.
The Superteam Era has hurt the chances small market teams have to compete and there’s no sign that it will end any time soon, Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes. So long as players are willing to forego max money in order to sign with other stars, there’s little the league can do to curb it.

Jeff Ayres Bolts D-League, Heads To Japan

February 16th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ex-NBA big man Jeff Ayres has signed with Toyota Alvark in the Japanese League, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Ayres, 29, had been playing for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders. He has left that team to pursue overseas opportunities, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Ayres appeared in 22 games this season, averaging 12.5 PPG and 7.2 RPG.

He had another overseas journey last year, signing with CSKA Moscow, but the Russian team decided not keep him. Ayres changed agents — hiring BDA Sports — after that experience and then hooked on with the D-League in December.

The fact that Ayres opted to go overseas in the midst of the D-League season was an apparent concession that he wasn’t getting any NBA nibbles, despite his respectable stats.

Ayres, formerly known as Jeff Pendergraph, was part of the Spurs’ 2014 championship team, but wasn’t re-signed after the 2014/15 season. He was the first player selected in the 2015 D-League draft and spent much of the season in Idaho before joining the Clippers last January.

After playing on two 10-day contracts, Ayres signed with the Clippers for the remainder of the 2015/16 season. He appeared in 17 games for L.A., averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.3 RPG in limited playing time. Ayres has also played for the Trail Blazers and Pacers over the course of his NBA career.

Jeff Ayres Joins Lakers’ D-League Affiliate

December 1st, 2016 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Jeff Ayres is back in the D-League, according to a press release issued today by the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The Lakers’ NBADL affiliate announced that it has acquired Ayres’ rights as a returning player.

Ayres, who was named a D-League All-Star last season after being selected first overall in the NBADL draft, averaged 16.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 27 total contests for the Idaho Stampede and L.A. D-Fenders. The 29-year-old was acquired in a trade by the D-Fenders during the season, and received an NBA call-up just two games later, when he signed with the Clippers.

After playing on two 10-day contracts, Ayres signed with the Clippers for the remainder of the 2015/16 season. He appeared in 17 games for L.A., averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.3 RPG in limited playing time. Ayres has also played for the Trail Blazers, Pacers, and Spurs over the course of his six-year NBA career, winning a championship in 2014 with San Antonio.

Ayres signed with Russia’s CSKA Moscow earlier this year, but was let go by the club last week and was said at the time to be seeking an NBA return. Previously represented by Impact Sports Basketball, Ayres hired BDA Sports for representation, and will now attempt to showcase his skills in the D-League as he looks for a new NBA home. The man formerly known as Jeff Pendergraph is expected to suit up tonight for the D-Fenders against the Salt Lake City Stars.

Jeff Ayres Let Go By CSKA Moscow, Seeking NBA Return

November 23rd, 2016 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Jeff Ayres signed with CSKA Moscow earlier this year, but the Russian team has let go of him, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter links). While Ayres appeared to be receiving interest from Barcelona, Pick reports that the 29-year-old has changed agents and is pushing for a return to the NBA.

Previously represented by Impact Sports Basketball, Ayres has hired BDA Sports for representation, according to Pick. The agency represents several NBA players, including Mike Conley, Goran Dragic, Patrick Beverley, and Aaron Gordon, so its connections could help Ayres find an NBA home. Still, no team currently has an opening on its 15-man roster. Last season, Ayres wasn’t able to land an NBA deal until January, when teams begin signing players to 10-day contracts, and it’s possible that will be the case again this year.

Ayres, formerly known as Jeff Pendergraph, spent two seasons in San Antonio and was part of the Spurs’ 2014 championship team, but wasn’t re-signed after the 2014/15 season. He was the first player selected in the 2015 D-League draft and spent much of the season in Idaho before joining the Clippers in January.

After playing on two 10-day contracts, Ayres signed with the Clippers for the remainder of the 2015/16 season. He appeared in 17 games for L.A., averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.3 RPG in limited playing time. Ayres has also played for the Trail Blazers and Pacers over the course of his six-year NBA career.

Jeff Ayres To Play In Russia

September 22nd, 2016 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Jeff Ayres is headed overseas, having signed a contract with Russian team CSKA Moscow. The club officially announced the deal today on its website.

“I think this is a great situation for me and perfect timing to go to Europe,” Ayres said in a statement. “I got a chance to play for [a] great team, great organization like CSKA Moscow. … I watched some games already trying to learn the system, I know many players there and I think I can fit into European basketball. So it seems like [a] really good idea.”

Ayres, 29, spent two seasons in San Antonio and was part of the Spurs’ 2014 championship team, but wasn’t re-signed after the 2014/15 season. He was the first player selected in the 2015 D-League draft and spent much of the season in Idaho before joining the Clippers in January. After playing on two 10-day contracts, Ayres signed with the team for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 17 games for L.A., averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.3 RPG in limited playing time. Ayres has also played for the Trail Blazers and Pacers over the course of his six-year NBA career.

Although he ended up signing to play in Russia, Ayres appeared to receive a little NBA interest this offseason. He recently worked out for the Spurs after participating in a free agent mini-camp with the Lakers last month.

According to CSKA Moscow’s announcement, Ayres only signed a two-month contract with the club, so if the team doesn’t extend his contract, he’d have the opportunity to return to the NBA during the 2016/17 season.

Jeff Ayres Working Out With Spurs

September 14th, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Spurs center/power forward Jeff Ayres is working out with the team in advance of training camp, tweets international basketball writer David Pick.

The 29-year-old Ayres spent two seasons in San Antonio and was part of the 2014 championship team, but he wasn’t re-signed after the 2014/15 season. He was the first player selected in the 2015 D-League draft and spent much of the season in Idaho before joining the Clippers in January. After playing on two 10-day contracts, Ayres signed with the team for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 17 games for L.A., averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in limited playing time. Ayres has also played for the Trail Blazers and Pacers in his six-year NBA career.

The Spurs have just 13 players under contract, so they have flexibility if they decide to add Ayres. San Antonio has a need for front court depth after Tim Duncan retired, Boban Marjanovic signed with the Pistons and David West joined the Warriors.

Lakers Notes: Free Agents, Young, Mozgov, Ingram

August 17th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Six players with NBA experience participated in the Lakers’ free agent mini-camp today, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Attending the camp were Xavier Henry, Jeff Ayres, P.J. Hairston, Johnny O’Bryant, Orlando Johnson and Travis Wear. A swingman, Henry played 43 games for the Lakers during 2013/14, but was waived after just nine games the following season. Ayres is a six-year veteran center/power forward who played 16 games with the Clippers last season. Hairston, a swingman, has been in the league two years with the Hornets and Grizzlies. A power forward with two years of NBA experience, O’Bryant played 66 games for the Bucks last season but was waived in June. Johnson, a shooting guard, has four years of NBA experience and had brief stops last season with the Suns and Pelicans. Wear, a small forward, was out of the league last season after playing 61 games for the Knicks in 2014/15. “What we’re looking at here are known players,” GM Mitch Kupchak said in a video on the team’s website. “We do have roster spots open in terms of our team, but also we have roster spots open in terms of training camp.”

There’s more out of Los Angeles today:

It’s unlikely that Nick Young will be on the Lakers’ roster when the season starts, states Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Young recently expressed a desire to end his dispute with D’Angelo Russell, but Ding doesn’t believe he’ll get that opportunity. In a video on the Bleacher Report website, he says the Lakers have been trying to trade Young for a long time and will likely waive him if they can’t find a taker. He has two seasons and more than $11MM left on his contract. The league deadline for teams to use the stretch provision is August 31st.
Timofey Mozgov was able to participate in a full practice with his Russian team today after an injury scare last week, reports Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Times. Mozgov, who joined the Lakers on a four-year, $64MM deal last month, suffered a groin injury Friday and was forced to miss two tournament games. The Lakers said he reported no more pain after undergoing an MRI Saturday and has no more restrictions.
The Lakers held off on signing first-round pick Brandon Ingram and free agent center Tarik Black so they would have cap room for deals like the one today with Yi Jianlian, Medina tweets.

Clippers Rumors: Griffin, Paul, Jordan, Crawford

May 2nd, 2016 at 2:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Doc Rivers hinted before the season that he would consider breaking up the team’s core if it fell short in the playoffs again, and trade speculation has surrounded Griffin for much of the year, but Rivers seems to maintain belief in what Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan can do, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The coach/executive said today that he doesn’t think the team’s window for title contention is closed, Markazi tweets.

“I like our team,” Rivers said after Friday’s season-ending loss to Portland. “Our bench was fantastic this year. The problem is we have a lot of free agents on our team and I think a lot of them are going to be attractive, and so we have to fight to keep our own first and then try to build from that point. We’re going to have a difficult time. It’s going to be tough.”

See more on the Clippers:

Rivers can’t envision any player in the league picking up his player option for next season, given the sharp escalation of the salary cap that’s poised to create a player-friendly market this summer, notes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Rivers confirmed that means he expects Cole Aldrich, Wesley Johnson and son Austin Rivers to opt out from the Clippers this summer, and the coach/executive also believes Paul and Griffin will opt out in the summer of 2017, Bolch relays (Twitter links).
Doc Rivers said today that he wants to re-sign as many of the team’s free soon-to-be free agents as possible this summer, according to Bolch (Twitter links). “They all want to come back, but they’ve all played well and so they’ve all made it more difficult,” Rivers said. Jeff Green, Jamal Crawford, Luc Mbah a Moute, Pablo Prigioni and Jeff Ayres are the Clippers on expiring contracts, and presumably the same sentiment applies to the trio with player options.
Crawford said after Friday’s game that he’d like to re-sign with the Clippers, tweets Jen Beyrle of The Oregonian. The 36-year-old Crawford and J.J. Redick, who turns 32 next month, both said on Redick’s podcast for The Vertical that they’d like to play five more years, and Redick would like to sign a four-year deal when his existing contract expires in the summer of 2017, as Markazi relays via Twitter.
Paul Pierce has one more year left in him, Rivers believes, according to Bolch (Twitter link). Pierce, 38, is signed through the 2017/18 season but is 50-50 on whether to retire this summer.
The creation of a Clippers D-League affiliate will be a matter of discussion this summer, Rivers said, cautioning that it remains uncertain whether a team will be in place in time for next season, tweets Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. The Clips are reportedly exploring the idea of starting a D-League team in Bakersfield, California.