NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Cunningham, Mobley, Suggs, And The Best Of The Rest
By Evan Wheeler
32. Joel Ayayi, G, Gonzaga
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, 6-foot-7.5 wingspan
Class: Sophomore
Age: 21
Mike’s Ranking: Unranked
Evan’s Ranking: 30
Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert both might be the Gonzaga draft prospects everyone is most excited about and rightfully so, but Joel Ayayi is another draft prospect who flourished in Spokane this season that deserves first-round consideration.
He reminds me of a taller, lankier, and better playmaking version of former 2007 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa. I believe Ayayi is probably the best off-ball scorer in this class and could be a borderline triple-double threat off of an NBA franchise’s bench or as a starting combo guard. He’s also got good first-step quickness and should be a more than capable three-point shooter at the next level.
Ayayi still needs to make some progression as an on-ball defender and with his defensive awareness but is he by no means a liability on that end of the floor. His offensive versatility should get him drafted and he should be able to carve a nice role in this league for the next decade or so.