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
- Championships: 1
- Sydney (2022)
BIO: Jaylen Adams was born in Baltimore, Maryland (USA) and played high school ball for Mount St. Joseph where he was a three-time MIAA A Conference champion.
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.
Jaylen Adams currently plays for the Sydney Kings and has played 79 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 19.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists since entering the league in 2021.
CURRENT CONTRACT:
Sydney Kings – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 35th 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
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 28 | Sydney | 16-13 (5) | 26 | 251.0 | 463 | 104 | 155 | 86 | 18 | 42 | 17 | 76 | 65 | 147 | 355 | 41% | 48 | 136 | 35% | 121 | 155 | 78% | 54% | 48% | 43 |
| 2023-24 | 27 | Sydney | 13-15 (5) | 29 | 857.0 | 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 | 747.0 | 499 | 124 | 140 | 17 | 107 | 28 | 6 | 73 | 69 | 164 | 370 | 44% | 74 | 179 | 41% | 97 | 116 | 84% | 59% | 54% | 33 | Totals | 79 | 1855 | 1526 | 322 | 449 | 127 | 195 | 102 | 33 | 238 | 194 | 496 | 1156 | 42.9% | 169 | 468 | 36.1% | 365 | 451 | 80.9% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 28 | Sydney | 16-13 (5) | 26 | 9.7 | 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% | 54% | 48% | 43 |
| 2023-24 | 27 | Sydney | 13-15 (5) | 29 | 29.6 | 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 | 79 | 23.5 | 19.3 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 6.3 | 14.6 | 42.9% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.1% | 2.1 | 5.9 | 80.9% | 56% | 50% | 43 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 43 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, Adams was signed by the Atlanta Hawks to a two-way contract. Adams made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018, recording 1 rebound and 1 assist in 4 minutes of action in a blowout 127–106 loss to the New York Knicks. On July 13, 2019, Adams was waived by the Hawks.
On August 20, 2019, Adams signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was cut in training camp and assigned to the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.
In 2020 Adams was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers during the COVID-19 NBA restart to replace veteran forward Trevor Ariza, who opted out of returning to the NBA in Orlando due to child custody reasons. Adams then missed several games with a lower back injury.
On November 24, 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks announced that they had signed Adams to two-way contract. On March 4, 2021, Adams was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks after appeared in seven games.
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 | 92% | 98% | 90% | 78% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 43 | 10 | 6 | 3 | ||||||
| Total | 496 | 1156 | 42.9% | 169 | 468 | 36.1% |
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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 2024-25 | 28 | Sydney | 10-7 (3) | 14 | 12.0 | 214 | 53 | 86 | 43 | 10 | 31 | 6 | 47 | 31 | 68 | 172 | 40% | 26 | 71 | 37% | 52 | 66 | 79% | 53% | 47% | 32 |
| 2023-24 | 27 | Sydney | 13-15 (5) | 29 | 857.0 | 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 | 747.0 | 499 | 124 | 140 | 17 | 107 | 28 | 6 | 73 | 69 | 164 | 370 | 44% | 74 | 179 | 41% | 97 | 116 | 84% | 59% | 54% | 33 |
| 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% |
| 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% | 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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 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% | 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 (2022-2023) | China - Qingdao (2023), Liaoning (2024)
Adams joined the Lianoning 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.
COLLEGE
At St. Bonaventure Adams averaged 17.9 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore and was named a first-team All-Atlantic 10 player. In his junior season, Adams finished second in the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring (20.6 points per game), first in assists (6.5 per game) and second in steals (2.1 per game). He was named to the First Team All-Atlantic 10 for the second straight year. As a senior he led St. Bonaventure to a 26–8 record and upset of UCLA in the NCAA Tournament.[He was named conference co-Player of the Year with Peyton Aldridge.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team
Related
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