4. Jeff Ayres
Jeff Ayres spent two seasons as a backup center with the San Antonio Spurs, so the idea behind this is simple: “If he’s good enough for the Spurs, he good enough for us.”
In those two seasons, Ayres averaged just 10.8 minutes per game. Not a lot. But he was impactful in those minutes. Adjusted for 36 minutes, per basketball-reference, he averaged 10.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in two seasons.
Ayres isn’t going to reinvent the wheel. He’s not going to make a play that knocks your socks off. But he won’t screw up too bad and he’ll score when he’s open. That’s not a bad deal for a 10-day contract, and certainly more than can say about Miami’s current depth behind Whiteside. Ayres could be a valuable deep reserve, and play important minutes should Whiteside get injured. He might be a nice security blanket to have around.
Next: A Familiar Name