Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Joel Ayayi (11) in the second half during the national championship game in the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament against the Baylor Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former Gonzaga guard signs with Paris Basketball

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 12:48 PM ET

Former Gonzaga guard Joel Ajayi will have an opportunity to play in Europe's most prestigious men's basketball league this fall.

The 6-foot-4 Ayayi has signed a deal to play for Paris Basketball, a professional club coming off winning the championship in the top league France has to offer, Betclic ÉLITE.

Ayayi, a Bordeaux native, has enjoyed an extended pro career close to home since his last NBA stint, playing for Nanterre 92 (Paris) and more recently JL Bourg Basket (Bourg-en-Bresse, France) of the LNB Elite League.

Paris Basketball eliminated Ajayi and JL Bourg in the semifinal round of the LNB Pro A playoffs earlier this month en route to the championship round, where the club beat AS Monaco in a five-game series, clinching a promotion to the prestigious EuroLeague.

WELCOME @joel_ayayi !
Le Paris Basketball est fier d’accueillir l’arrière en provenance de la JL Bourg, qui va découvrir l’EuroLeague avec le club ! pic.twitter.com/glHbHteC73
— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) July 3, 2025

Ajayi averaged 9.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 53.8% from the field and 41.4% during the regular season. He stepped up in the playoffs with 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, helping JL Bourg to a sweep of Cholet in the first round before falling to the eventual champions in the semifinals.

Now, the 25-year-old Ajayi will try to help guide France's top-tier club team through the most competitive league in Europe. His new head coach, Francesco Tabellini, will have the daunting task of matching Paris Basketball's success under former coach Tiago Splitter, who recently accepted a role as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers after guiding Paris on a historic 2024-25 campaign.

Prior to signing with Nanterre in 2023, Ayayi spent two years bouncing around on two-way contracts in the NBA. His most recent stint was in the 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he suited up for the Memphis Grizzlies. That came after he spent much of the 2022-23 campaign with the Osceola (then Lakeland) Magic, the Orlando Magic’s G League affiliate team.

After going undrafted in 2021, Ayayi signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, though he was waived just before the 2021-22 season opener. He then signed with the Washington Wizards, appearing in seven games before being waived in March. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022 Summer League and the Orlando Magic in the 2022-23 season while on an Exhibit 10 contract.

The 2025-26 EuroLeague season tips off Sept. 30.