Ginebra San Miguel injected more youth into its lineup as it signed MJ Ayaay, head coach Tim Cone announced on Twitter Monday.
“We welcome newly signed MJ Ayaay to the Ginebra family!” wrote the league’s winningest mentor, although terms of the deal remain undisclosed.
Ayaay, 27, was the 9th overall pick by Alaska in 2018. He surprised some, as there were few expectations that he’ll be taken in the first round.
The Aces, though, justified their decision by saying he would be a good fit, especially after playing under then-assistant coach Topex Robinson in Lyceum.
He saw action for 34 games in his rookie season, logging in per-game averages of 4.76 points and 3.2 rebounds in nearly 15 minutes.
Ayaay was also with the Aces in the Philippine Cup bubble last year and normed 3.1 points and 2.5 caroms in a campaign that ended in the quarterfinals.
Cone said that they are looking forward to pairing the 6-foot-1 utility player with the do-it-all Scottie Thompson in the backcourt.
Thompson is coming off an impressive campaign in the Clark bubble, with numbers of 11.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. There, he helped the Gin Kings cop the Perpetual Trophy after 13 long years.
“We’re looking forward to pairing him with Scottie in the backcourt,” the PBA’s only 23-time champion coach wrote.
Ayaay’s arrival is yet another solid boost to Ginebra, who had just welcomed Greg Slaughter back into the fold recently.
