Sydney Kings Release New Import Lamonte Turner Before Playing A Single Game
January 8, 2025
Jaylen Adams
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 4/05/96
- Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): 102
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: St. Bonaventure (2014–2018)
- NBL DEBUT: 5/12/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 7/02/25
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Sydney 2022, 2024-25 | Brisbane 2026
- Championships: 1
- Sydney (2022)
BIO: Jaylen Adams was born in Baltimore, Maryland (USA) and developed his game at Mount St. Joseph High School, a powerhouse in the region. During his time there, he helped the team secure three MIAA A Conference championships, establishing himself as one of Maryland’s top guards. Despite being lightly recruited nationally, Adams’ leadership, scoring ability, and high basketball IQ made him a standout at the prep level and earned him a scholarship to St. Bonaventure University.
At Mount St. Joseph, Adams played alongside several Division I prospects, gaining experience in a competitive environment and consistently performing in high-pressure situations. Known for his quickness, shooting range, and court vision, Adams was the engine of a well-coached program and attracted attention from mid-major programs before ultimately committing to St. Bonaventure.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Jaylen Adams made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 25 years of age. He scored 15 points in his first game.
2021 saw the Kings replace Adam Forde with unproven US coach, Chase Buford. Buford, the son of RC Buford, the mastermind of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, would be handed a team with a already impressive core in Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin and Dejan Vasiljevic and added former NBA talent Adams and fellow import RJ Hunter.
The change in leadership and early-season injuries to RJ Hunter (who would only play in one NBL game), Adams (missed a third of the season) and young big man Jordan Hunter, who would miss the entire season, resulted in a sluggish start for the Kings. After a stretch in January where the Kings lost four consecutive games, Adams was able to make his return, the Kings added a former NBA teammate of Kings co-owner Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark and things began to improve.
Adams would average 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists as the Kings then finished the year in spectacular fashion, winning 13 consecutive games to end the regular season.
The Kings faced Brian Goorjian and the Illawarra Hawks in the semifinals, but comfortably defeated them in two straight games. On the other side of the bracket, the Tasmania JackJumpers in their debut NBL season, who were lucky to even be in the playoffs, defeated Melbourne United in three games. Tasmania had finished the season in fifth place and only qualified for the playoffs thanks to points percentage after South East Melbourne beat Perth in the final game of the season.
In the Grand Final series, Sydney continued to show their dominance, defeating Tasmania (95-78) in the opening game of the series. Adams, who had been named NBL MVP the previous week, scored 18 points in the win but suffered a left hamstring injury which would see him miss the remainder of the Grand Final series.
Game two saw JackJumpers fan favourite Josh Adams erupt for 36 points in front of a sell-out Tasmanian crowd, but thanks to 20 point efforts from both captain Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin (who shot 80% from the field) as well as Dejan Vasiljevic, who nailed a long range dagger in the closing minutes clinched game two for the Kings, 90-86. The win was Sydney’s 12th straight road game victory – the most away wins ever during a single NBL season.
The Kings then closed out the series in game three, ending their 17-year championship drought in front of 16,000 fans at Qudos Bank Arena. Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin combined for 45 points and 29 rebounds, and the Kings won their 19th win of their final 21 games.
Dejan Vasiljevic with the 𝘿𝘼𝙂𝙂𝙀𝙍 🗡️
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– 📺 Watch the #NBLFinals Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/XDIgoHVKo9— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 8, 2022
The Kings then closed out the series in game three, ending their 17-year championship drought in front of 16,000 fans at Qudos Bank Arena. Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin combined for 45 points and 29 rebounds, and the Kings won their 19th win of their final 21 games.
Cooks would be named the MVP of the finals series, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists over the three games and at 33 years of age, Buford became the fourth-youngest championship-winning coach in league history, with Bob Turner (1983), Ken Richardson (1982) and Jim Ericksen (1981) the only coaches to win it at a younger age (Two of those were player-coaches).
17 years in the making 💜💛#WeTheKings #NBL22 pic.twitter.com/Wz7uIGjTr6— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) May 14, 2022
2023/24
Adams returned to Sydney after a season spent playing in both Europe and China, signing a one-year deal, as the Kings looked to win their third championship in as many seasons.
“I’m confident with the squad we have assembled, that is willing to work hard, that we can deliver Sydney another championship,” said Adams upon returning to the Kings.
Sydney were forced to undergo a huge rebuild prior to NBL24, after losing several key pieces to NBA opportunities. First reigning NBL MVP Xavier Cooks and DJ Vasiljevic both headed to Washington, then coach Chase Buford was released to pursue NBA opportunities and eventually joined Milwaukee. Imports Derrick Walton Jr, Justin Simon and Tim Soares all headed overseas, and Jordan Hunter remained with the team as the only starter from the championship squad to return.
Former league MVP Jaylen Adams returned after a season in Europe and joined new imports DJ Hogg (via Cairns), Denzel Valentine and former NBA talent and Australian Boomer Jonah Bolden, who returned to basketball after a 4-year absence.
G-League championship coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah was brought in as Buford’s replacement, and despite the considerable roster turnover, the Kings still entered the season as championship favourites.
After ten games, Sydney sat in second position (7-3) and had lost to only two teams, the Tasmania JackJumpers (twice) and the Cairns Taipans. This was achieved while marquee player DJ Hogg (who missed the first half of the season) and Jaylin Galloway sat injured on the sidelines.
From Round 8 onwards, the Kings looked nothing like the team that had dominated the league for the past two years. They struggled to win games, giving up 100 points on nine occasions, and finished as one of the worst teams in the league at the defensive end.
Much of the team’s success this season came from the pick-and-roll offence of Adams (19.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Hunter (10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks). Bolden (8.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) delivered some great games but understandably spent most of the season working himself back into basketball form. In comparison, Denzel Valentine (12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) and DJ Hogg (14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks) didn’t deliver as expected at both ends. Sydney finished the season in fifth place and failed to make the post-season after losing to New Zealand during the play-in qualifiers. However, breakout seasons from rookie Alex Toohey (8 points and 4.0 rebounds), Kouat Noi (10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists), who came close to winning the league’s best sixth-man award, and Galloway (10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) were the only real highlights of the season, showcasing the individual talent and potential within the team.
Adams, who was named Kings MVP at the end of the season, delivered one of his best games of the season to clinch a post-season berth for the Kings. Sydney recorded the biggest winning margin in franchise history, and of any team in the 40-minute era, destroying a depleted South East Melbourne (122-67). Adams hit 17-first-half points and went on to rack up 24 points, four rebounds and nine assists in 26 mins. He also notched up a career-high 39 points in just 27 minutes in a landslide Kings win over New Zealand (105-76).
SYDNEY KINGS
2024/25
Before signing with the Kings, Adams was pursued by the 36ers and was extremely close to signing a deal to play with Adelaide before a discussion with new coach Brian Goorjian convinced him to return to Sydney.
He was sidelined in October 2024 due to a back injury. On December 30, 2024, he scored 41 points in a 111–96 loss to the Adelaide 36ers. On January 24, 2025, he followed that performance with 43 points in a 105–96 loss to the 36ers.
Jaylen Adams currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets and has played 92 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists since entering the league in 2021.
CURRENT CONTRACT:
Brisbane Bullets – 1 Year Deal (2025-26)
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 39th in assists per game.
HIGHLIGHTS:
King Sh!t ft. @10jadams
🎵 Tha Alkaholiks – Aww Sh*t! pic.twitter.com/aQ7MY0NlSu
— Dunk Comp (@DUNKC0MP) February 21, 2022
Certified 🪣 getter
Check out some of Jaylen Adams' best moments in the NBL 👀 pic.twitter.com/S2lLIjFR44
— NBL (@NBL) June 16, 2024
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 29 | Brisbane | 6-18 (10) | 13 | 120.7 | 167 | 34 | 69 | 28 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 43 | 26 | 55 | 133 | 41% | 12 | 40 | 30% | 45 | 60 | 75% | 52% | 46% | 29 |
| 2024-25 | 28 | Sydney | 16-13 (5) | 26 | 534.2 | 463 | 104 | 155 | 86 | 18 | 42 | 17 | 76 | 65 | 147 | 355 | 41% | 48 | 136 | 35% | 121 | 155 | 78% | 43 | ||
| 2023-24 | 27 | Sydney | 13-15 (5) | 29 | 856.6 | 564 | 94 | 154 | 24 | 70 | 32 | 10 | 89 | 60 | 185 | 431 | 43% | 47 | 153 | 31% | 147 | 180 | 82% | 55% | 48% | 39 |
| 2021-22 | 26 | Sydney | 19-9 (3) | 24 | 747.4 | 499 | 124 | 140 | 17 | 107 | 28 | 6 | 73 | 69 | 164 | 370 | 44% | 74 | 179 | 41% | 97 | 116 | 84% | 59% | 54% | 33 | Totals | 92 | 2259 | 1693 | 356 | 518 | 155 | 201 | 120 | 37 | 281 | 220 | 551 | 1289 | 42.7% | 181 | 508 | 35.6% | 410 | 511 | 80.2% | 56% | 50% | 43 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 29 | Brisbane | 6-18 (10) | 13 | 9.3 | 12.8 | 2.6 | 5.3 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 10.2 | 41% | 0.9 | 3.1 | 30% | 3.5 | 4.6 | 75% | 52% | 46% | 29 |
| 2024-25 | 28 | Sydney | 16-13 (5) | 26 | 20.5 | 17.8 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 5.7 | 13.7 | 41% | 1.8 | 5.2 | 35% | 4.7 | 6.0 | 78% | 43 | ||
| 2023-24 | 27 | Sydney | 13-15 (5) | 29 | 29.5 | 19.4 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 6.4 | 14.9 | 43% | 1.6 | 5.3 | 31% | 5.1 | 6.2 | 82% | 55% | 48% | 39 |
| 2021-22 | 26 | Sydney | 19-9 (3) | 24 | 31.1 | 20.8 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 6.8 | 15.4 | 44% | 3.1 | 7.5 | 41% | 4.0 | 4.8 | 84% | 59% | 54% | 33 | Total | 92 | 24.6 | 18.4 | 3.9 | 5.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 42.7% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35.6% | 2.0 | 5.5 | 80.2% | 56% | 50% | 43 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 43 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Jaylen Adams’ NBA and G League career spanned from 2018 to 2021 and featured impactful stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, and their respective G League affiliates. After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, Adams signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks. He split time between Atlanta and the Erie BayHawks, the team’s G League affiliate, where he quickly proved his scoring ability. Adams made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018, logging one rebound and one assist in four minutes against the New York Knicks. Over 34 NBA games with the Hawks, he averaged 3.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 rebounds across 12.6 minutes per contest. On March 3, 2019, he delivered his best NBA performance with 14 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals in 26 minutes against the Chicago Bulls, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range.
In the G League with Erie, Adams impressed by averaging 15.3 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game across 20 starts. Atlanta re-signed him to a multi-year contract in February 2019 before waiving him on July 13 of that year.
Adams next joined the Milwaukee Bucks on an Exhibit 10 contract on August 20, 2019, but was waived in training camp and allocated to the Wisconsin Herd. His 2019–20 G League season was dominant—he posted 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Highlights included a 39-point performance with six three-pointers against Grand Rapids and a 19-point, 14-assist effort against Canton. These performances made Adams one of the G League’s top guards.
Following his standout G League season, Adams signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2020 for the NBAs Orlando bubble restart, replacing Trevor Ariza. Though limited by a lower back injury, Adams made three playoff appearances in Portland’s first-round series against the Lakers. He averaged 2.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists over 7.0 minutes per game, finishing with 6 total points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Adams returned to Milwaukee on November 24, 2020, signing a two-way deal. He played in seven games during the 2020–21 NBA season, averaging just 2.6 minutes per outing and 0.3 points before being waived on March 4, 2021. Despite limited court time in Milwaukee, his standout performances in the G League continued to define his reputation as a high-level scorer and facilitator.
Across his NBA career, Adams played 41 regular season games, averaging 2.7 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. His career highs included 14 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in a single game—all achieved during his breakout performance with Atlanta against Chicago.
Adams played 41 games in the NBA. He averaged 2.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- July 1, 2018: Signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks
February 20, 2019: Converted from a two-way contract to a regular contract by the Atlanta Hawks.
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July 13, 2019: Waived by the Atlanta Hawks.
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August 20, 2019: Signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks.
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October 14, 2019: Waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
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July 1, 2020: Signed a substitution contract with the Portland Trail Blazers (substituting for Trevor Ariza)
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November 24, 2020: Signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 91% | 98% | 90% | 77% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 43 | 10 | 6 | 3 | ||||||
| Total | 551 | 1289 | 42.7% | 181 | 508 | 35.6% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 24 | Milwaukee | PG | 7 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 13% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| 2018-19 | 22 | Atlanta | PG | 34 | 1 | 428 | 108 | 60 | 65 | 11 | 49 | 14 | 5 | 28 | 45 | 38 | 110 | 35% | 25 | 74 | 34% | 7 | 9 | 78% | 47% | 46% | Total | 41 | 1 | 446 | 110 | 63 | 67 | 11 | 52 | 14 | 5 | 28 | 46 | 39 | 118 | 33% | 25 | 76 | 33% | 7 | 9 | 78% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 24 | Milwaukee | PG | 7 | 0 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 13% | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| 2018-19 | 22 | Atlanta | PG | 34 | 1 | 12.6 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 35% | 0.7 | 2.2 | 34% | 0.2 | 0.3 | 78% | 47% | 46% | Total | 41 | 1 | 10.9 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 33% | 0.6 | 1.9 | 33% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 78% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Serbia – Crvena zvezda (2022) | China – Qingdao (2022–2023), Liaoning (2024) | Africa – Al Ahli Tripoli (2025)
Adams joined the Serbian powerhouse Crvena zvezda in July 2022, following an MVP-winning season in the Australian NBL with the Sydney Kings. However, his stint in the ABA League was short-lived, as he parted ways with the team on November 3, 2022.
In December 2022, Adams signed with the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He featured in nine games between December 18 and January 9 before moving on. He returned to the NBL for the 2023–24 season with the Sydney Kings.
In March 2024, Adams joined the Liaoning Flying Leopards in China after the conclusion of the NBL season where he struggled to find playing time, hitting the court for only 8.6 minutes per game and averaging 5.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
On July 1, 2024, Adams re-signed with the Kings for the 2024–25 NBL season.
After his stint with the Sydney Kings, Jaylen Adams signed with Al Ahli Tripoli during the 2025 NBL offseason, where he helped the team go 6–0 in the Nile Conference tournament.
One of his best performances came in a 102–73 win over MBB, where Adams delivered 28 points, 4 assists, and shot 9-of-15 from the field in 33 minutes to secure Al Ahli a spot in the BAL Playoffs.
In the postseason, Adams faced off against fellow NBL talents Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. and Majok Deng of Al Ittihad Alexandria, finishing with 9 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal while shooting 2-of-13 from the field (15%) in an 85–74 loss.
Lual-Acuil Jr. led Alexandria with 16 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks on 6-of-10 shooting (60%), while Deng added 19 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists on 6-of-9 shooting (66%).
Adams bounced back to lead Al Ahli SC to the 2025 BAL championship, helping the club defeat Petro de Luanda 88–67 in the final on June 14.
He finished the title game with 11 points and 7 assists, playing a key role in delivering Tripoli their first BAL title.
Adams’ outstanding play throughout the tournament earned him selection to the 2025 All-BAL First Team alongside Jean Jacques Boissy, Majok Deng, Patrick Gardner, and Aliou Diarra.
COLLEGE
Jaylen Adams had an outstanding collegiate career at St. Bonaventure, emerging as one of the program’s all-time great guards. After a strong sophomore campaign where he averaged 17.9 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game, Adams was named First Team All-Atlantic 10. He repeated that honour in his junior year, finishing second in the conference in scoring (20.6), first in assists (6.5), and second in steals (2.1) per game.
As a senior, despite missing the first six games, Adams was once again dominant—averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 assists, and shooting 43.6% from three-point range. He recorded back-to-back 40-point games in February 2018, including a school-record 10 three-pointers against Saint Louis. That season, he led the Bonnies to a 26–8 record and their first NCAA Tournament win since 1970, upsetting UCLA in the First Four. He was named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year alongside Davidson’s Peyton Aldridge and became a three-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection.
Adams finished his college career as the top-scoring guard in school history with 1,912 points and earned All-District honours from the NABC twice. He was invited to the Reese’s College All-Star Game and participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament as one of the nation’s top senior prospects.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team- BAL champion (2025)
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All-BAL First Team (2025)
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All-NBA G League First Team (2020)
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AP Honorable Mention All-American (2018)
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Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year (2018)
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3× First-team All-Atlantic 10 (2016–2018)
Related
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