The 27 year old Mexican shows desire to join Real Madrid next summer rather than accepting Orlando Magic’s offer.....
Gustavo Ayon was traded to the Orlando Magic by the New Orleans Hornets as part of the deal which saw Ryan Anderson land in the Big Easy.
The 27 year old big man has huge boots to fill as he looks to become the replacement for Dwight Howard. He may not be as influential as Howard has been for the past 8 years with 5 consecutive playoff appearances, but Ayon had a
rather successful rookie season.
As a first timer in the league, Ayon held an average of 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in the limited 20 minutes of playing time he received. These performances may not be much as per NBA standards but it was good to see
a Mexican player coming over from Spain not getting lost in the American style of basketball.
But having played most of his basketball career in the European circuit, and the current roster situation of Magic, has got him thinking about returning to Spain. Even though he is in the second year of his contract which the next
being a team option, he has hinted on wanting to return.
“I would be proud if I could return to Spain and go back to a team like Real Madrid or Barcelona. I prefer Madrid because I know the city better.”
It is still unclear whether these comments have been made in order to procure a more lucrative contract. However, at the moment, Ayon is adamant on waiting until next summer to find out what his future holds
On the other hand, Orlando wouldn’t mind brining back Ayon for another season as the $1.5 player option will not be off much trouble for a valid player like the Mexican. But this does adds to the list of setbacks the franchise
has been through over the past couple of months.
During the summer, Orlando manager, Rob Hennigan put an end to the Howard saga by trading him over to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Apart from Howard, Jason Richardson was sent over to Philadelphia 76ers and NBA most improved player; Anderson had already been traded thus sending the franchise onto the long path of complete re-structuring which is set to go
through the next few years.
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