Jaylen Tairique Adams (born May 4, 1996) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who last played for Al Ahli Tripoli of the

Basketball Africa League The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Each season typically r ...

(BAL). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

St. Bonaventure Bonnies The St. Bonaventure Bonnies (formerly the St. Bonaventure Brown Indians from 1927 to 1992) are the varsity intercollegiate athletic programs of St. Bonaventure University, based in St. Bonaventure, New York between the two towns of Allegany an ...

, earning co- Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2018. In 2022, Adams won the NBL with the

Sydney Kings The Sydney Kings are an Australian men's professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL). The team is based in Sydney, New South Wales, and play their home games at Qudos Ba ...

, while being named league MVP as well. He won the BAL championship in 2025 with Al Ahli Tripoli.

High school and college career

Adams played high school ball for Mount St. Joseph where he was a three-time MIAA A Conference champion. He committed to play in college for St. Bonaventure, averaging 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. Adams missed the first six games of his senior season. In February 2018, Adams scored, respectively, 40- and 44-point games against

Duquesne __NOTOC__ Duquesne or Duchesne ( , ; old spelling Du Quesne, American spelling DuQuesne) is a family name derived from a northern dialectal form of French (Norman and Picard) meaning ''du chêne'' in French ("of the oak"). The anglicization of t ...

and

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

. As a senior, Adams was the fourth-leading scorer in the Atlantic 10 with 19.1 points per game to go with 5.2 assists per game. He led St. Bonaventure to a 26–8 record and upset of

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

in the NCAA tournament. He was named conference co-Player of the Year with

Peyton Aldridge Peyton James Aldridge (born November 10, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for Petkim Spor of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL). He played college basketball for Davidson. High school career Aldridge scored 1,735 point ...

. After the season, Adams was invited to the

Reese's College All-Star Game The Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Reese's College All-Star Game, founded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, NABC, is a men's college basketball game showcasing 20 of the best senior players in NCAA Division I. The two teams are coa ...

but missed it with an ankle injury and instead played in the

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, (PIT), is the only postseason camp restricted to college basketball seniors. The Portsmouth Invitational is the first of two NBA pre-Draft (sports), draft camps, the other being the Orlando pre-Draft (sport ...

Professional career

Atlanta Hawks (2018–2019)

After going undrafted in the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including internationa ...

, Adams was signed by the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

to a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless o ...

. Under the terms of the deal he will split time between the Hawks and their

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

affiliate, the Erie BayHawks. 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 The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

. He scored 23 points in his G League debut in a win over the

Grand Rapids Drive The Grand Rapids Gold are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold play their home games at Van Andel Arena. They began play as the Anahe ...

. On February 20, 2019, the

announced they had re-signed Adams to a multi-year contract. On July 13, 2019, Adams was waived by the Hawks.

Wisconsin Herd (2019–2020)

On August 20, 2019, Adams signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. He was cut in training camp and assigned to the Bucks' G League affiliate, the

Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...

. Adams scored a season-high 39 points including 6 three-pointers in a 122–115 win over the

. On March 4, 2020, Adams dished out a career-high 14 assists to go along with his 19 points in a 106–108 loss to the

Canton Charge The Cleveland Charge are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cleveland, and are affiliated with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since 2024, the team plays its home games at Public Auditorium in downtown Cleveland, thoug ...

. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game for the Herd.

Portland Trail Blazers (2020)

After the G League season, Adams was signed by the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

NBA restart to replace veteran forward

Trevor Ariza Trevor Anthony Ariza (born June 30, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A small forward, Ariza played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins ...

, who opted out of returning to the NBA in Orlando due to child custody reasons. Adams missed several games with a lower back injury.

Milwaukee Bucks (2020–2021)

On November 24, 2020, the

announced that they had signed Adams to

. On March 4, 2021, Adams was reported to have been waived by the Bucks after he appeared in seven games.

Sydney Kings (2021–2022)

On August 22, 2021, Adams signed with the

for the

2021–22 NBL season The 2021–22 NBL season was the 44th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested the 2021–22 season, which commenced on 3 December 2021. Australian broadcast rights to the season ...

. He was named league MVP and helped lead the Kings to the NBL championship.

Crvena zvezda (2022)

On July 29, 2022, Adams signed with

Crvena zvezda Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...

of the

ABA League The ABA League, renamed the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the top-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedoni ...

. He parted ways with the team on November 3, 2022.

Qingdao Eagles (2022–2023)

In December 2022, Adams joined the

Qingdao Eagles The Qingdao Guoxin Haitian Eagle Club, also known as Qingdao Daily Fresh or Qingdao Eagles are a Chinese professional basketball team which is based in Qingdao, Shandong. The club plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

(CBA). He played nine games for Qingdao between December 18 and January 9.

Sydney Kings and Liaoning Flying Leopards (2023–2025)

On July 12, 2023, Adams signed with the Sydney Kings for the

2023–24 NBL season The 2023–24 NBL season was the 46th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested in the 2023–24 season. Australian broadcast rights to the season are held by ESPN in the third seas ...

, returning to the franchise for a second stint. On January 14, 2024, he scored 39 points in 27 minutes in a 105–76 win over the

New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Bank of New Zealand, BNZ Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers are the only non-Australian side currently competing in Austral ...

. In March 2024, Adams had a five-game stint with

Liaoning Flying Leopards The Liaoning Flying Leopards (), also known as the Liaoning Shenyang Sansheng Flying Leopard Club or Liaoning Bengang (), are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Hunnan District, Shenyang, Liaoning, which plays in the Northern Divisi ...

of the CBA. On July 1, 2024, Adams re-signed with the Kings for the

2024–25 NBL season The 2024–25 NBL season was the 47th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested in the 2024–25 season. The league extended its partnership with ESPN Australia. All games are availa ...

. 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 The Adelaide 36ers are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in the state's capital of Adela ...

. On January 24, 2025, he scored 43 points in a 105–96 loss to the 36ers.

Al Ahli Tripoli (2025–present)

In May 2025, Adams was on the roster of Libyan club Al Ahli Tripoli, making his debut in the

(BAL). Adams helped Tripoli win their first BAL championship, which they won on June 14, 2025, after defeating Petro de Luanda in the final.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, 34 , , 1 , , 12.6 , , .345 , , .338 , , .778 , , 1.8 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 7 , , 0 , , 2.6 , , .125 , , .000 , , – , , .4 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 41 , , 1 , , 10.9 , , .331 , , .329 , , .778 , , 1.5 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.7

Playoffs

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2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 3 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.0

NBL

, - , align="left" , 2021–22 , align="left" ,

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, 21 , , 21 , , 31.7 , , .430 , , .401 , , .815 , , 5.1 , , 6.1 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 20.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 21 , , 21 , , 31.7 , , .430 , , .401 , , .815 , , 5.1 , , 6.1 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 20.1

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

St. Bonaventure Bonaventure ( ; ; ; born Giovanni di Fidanza; 1221 – 15 July 1274) was an Italian Catholic Franciscan bishop, cardinal, scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, he also serv ...

, 22 , , 22 , , 32.5 , , .386 , , .324 , , .783 , , 2.5 , , 4.5 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

, 30 , , 30 , , 37.5 , , .445 , , .438 , , .874 , , 3.7 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 30 , , 29 , , 37.4 , , .419 , , .356 , , .821 , , 3.7 , , 6.5 , , 2.1 , , .2 , , 20.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 28 , , 27 , , 37.0 , , .437 , , .436 , , .851 , , 3.4 , , 5.2 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 19.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 110 , , 108 , , 36.3 , , .427 , , .394 , , .838 , , 3.4 , , 5.4 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 17.4

Personal life

Adams' father, Darryl, played for the

Maryland Terrapins football The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland, College Park in the sport of American football. The Terrapins compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Big Ten Conference. The Terrapins jo ...

team. His mother, Yalonda, played basketball at Wesley College in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

. Adams' younger brother, Brendan, played basketball for the

UConn Huskies The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, with its main campus located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school is a member of ...

and

George Washington Revolutionaries The George Washington Revolutionaries are the athletic teams of George Washington University of Washington, D.C. The Revolutionaries compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Confe ...

References

External links

St. Bonaventure Bonnies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Jaylen 1996 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen ABA League players American expatriate basketball people in Australia American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Serbia American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Baltimore Erie BayHawks (2017–2019) players KK Crvena zvezda players Liaoning Flying Leopards players Milwaukee Bucks players Mount Saint Joseph High School alumni Point guards Qingdao Eagles players St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball players Sydney Kings players Undrafted NBA players Wisconsin Herd players Al Ahli Tripoli basketball players