Deandre Ayton participated in a pre-draft workout on Wednesday with the Phoenix Suns, and he came away brimming with confidence that the team will be selecting him with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.
"I know I'm going No. 1," said Ayton, who added that Phoenix is his first -- and only -- pre-draft workout ahead of the draft. As Scott Bordow of AZ Central noted, reading between the lines with his comments makes it easy to deduce that the Suns, who hold the No. 1 overall pick, could make Ayton their first selection.
Fact Ayton not doing any other workouts tells me Suns are taking him No. 1. Period.
— scott bordow (@sbordow) June 6, 2018
Phoenix won't show its cards ahead of draft night, but GM Ryan McDonough spoke glowingly of the 7-footer from the University of Arizona after his workout.
"He shot the NBA three pretty comfortably," said McDonough. "We've been looking for a center to kind of anchor our team offensively and defensively. We think Deandre has that kind of potential."
Ayton averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as a super freshman for the Wildcats last season. During his lone college season, he proved capable of being a perfect fit as a big man in the modern NBA with his ability to use his massive frame in the post, shoot 3-pointers at an efficient 34.3 percent clip, and run the floor using his speed and athleticism. In Phoenix, he could be an ideal 1-2 punch alongside Devin Booker, who has shown himself to be a valuable building block for the Suns.
Recent Vegas odds have pegged Ayton as the favorite to hear his name called first overall in the NBA Draft ahead of Slovenian star Luka Doncic with 5-14 odds, and it seems after Wednesday's workout, those odds have only increased.