DeAndre Ayton, the talented big man out of Arizona, is projected to be one the top picks in the 2018 NBA draft this June. Even though the players in the draft have very little control over which team will choose them, that doesn’t stop the prospects from having a preference.
Ayton, while appearing as a guest on CBS Sports radio, expressed a desire to play alongside one of the brightest young stars in the league, Devin Booker.
Following from Tiki and Tierney on CBS Sports radio,
“Honestly, I could see myself in Phoenix,” the 19-year-old said. “I could see a little Shaq and Kobe 2.0 (with Devin Booker).
…
“I look at all the bigs that are pretty versatile like Joel Embiid, DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis and of course (Kristaps) Porzingis,” Ayton said. “Demarcus Cousins, he can move. With his size, he can really use his size on the perimeter against anybody. That’s what I want to do when I get to the league.”
The Phoenix Suns are projected to have one of the top picks in this year’s draft, and it isn’t outside of reality that Ayton could land in their laps.
The Suns are starved for a low-post threat as capable as Ayton, but he can also stretch the floor; that makes Ayton a real dual threat on offense. The big man with a 7’5 wingspan doubly has defensive potential as he averaged two blocks per game in college.
Ayton, a 7’1 versatile forward has the skill and upside that could help catapult the Suns out of mediocrity. The Wildcat freshmen averaged over 19 points and 11 rebounds per game this season.
Booker, the lone good fortune for the Suns this season, averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. The 21-year-old also shot a career-high 38 percent from three this year.
