Deandre Ayton is a popular Bahamian professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, where he was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year. Is Deandre Ayton injured? What happened to him? Keep reading as I give you details about his injury.
Deandre Ayton Biography
Ayton was born on July 23, 1998, in Nassau, Bahamas. His father is Nigerian, while his mother is of Jamaican and Bahamian heritage. Deandre attended Balboa School in California and started on the varsity basketball team for two years. As a sophomore in 2014–15, Ayton led Balboa to a 17–14 record, averaging 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 6.9 blocks per game.
In 2015–16, his junior year, Ayton transferred to Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, to play out his last two years. During this high school year, he became teammates with another top-tier Class of 2017 player in 2018’s #2 pick Marvin Bagley III. Throughout his junior year, Ayton averaged 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game.
As a senior in 2016–17, Ayton led Hillcrest to a 33–6 record and national rankings across multiple outlets while averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks. He led Hillcrest to a Grind Session World Championship, earning Finals MVP and season MVP. While representing the World Select team, Ayton played at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit, chipping in with eight points to go along with seven rebounds.
After an impressive high school career, Ayton made his debut with the University of Arizona on November 10, 2017, recording 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a 101–67 win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Throughout his college career, he was used as a power forward instead of a centre, with Dušan Ristić as Arizona’s starting centre. Ayton recorded 17 20-point games and 23 double-doubles through 34 games, but his freshman season was also mired by controversies.
Despite the controversies, Ayton was still selected by the Phoenix Suns as the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He became the franchise’s first No. 1 pick in their history. Ayton joined the 2018 NBA Summer League Suns squad and signed his rookie-scale contract five days later. In his Summer League debut, Ayton recorded 10 points and 8 rebounds in a 92–85 win over the Dallas Mavericks. At the end of the event, Ayton was named a member of the All-Summer League Second Team after averaging a double-double of 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in four games played.
Ayton’s first NBA season was a success. He averaged 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In his second season, he improved his numbers, averaging 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He helped the Suns make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, where they eventually lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals.
Unable to agree on a contract extension with the Phoenix Suns, Ayton became a restricted free agent in the offseason. On July 14, 2022, he signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, the largest in league history. The Suns quickly matched the Pacers’ offer, and Ayton signed the Suns’ multi-year contract
Deandre Ayton Injury Update. What Happened to him?
Ayton was injured in his groin and later to his hip in March 2023. He has been absent for some matches. Ayton is currently back from injury and will be featured in their upcoming matches.