NEW YORK (AFP) – The Phoenix Suns didn’t have to go far to get Deandre Ayton in the NBA draft, as they made the towering Bahamian teenager their first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history on Thursday.
The 19-year-old Ayton was expected to go first to the Suns who like the seven-foot (2.1-meter) center’s size and skill which he used to dominate in US college last season with the Arizona Wildcats.
“It means the world to me, you know my family and coaches know the hard work I put into this game to really try and be successful and achieve all my goals,” said Ayton.
Born in the Bahamas, Ayton, who turns 20 next month, moved to Phoenix during high school and says the majority of his family now lives in Arizona.
The Suns are hoping Ayton can help turn around a team that finished with just 21 wins against 61 defeats, the worst in the NBA.
The Sacramento Kings used the second pick to take Duke big man Marvin Bagley who played with Ayton for one season at a high school in Phoenix, Arizona.
Slovenia’s Luka Doncic was chosen third overall by the Atlanta Hawks, who then turned around and traded the European star’s rights to the Dallas Mavericks for fifth pick Trae Young and a future first round draft pick.
It was a big night for the big men in this NBA throwback draft at Barclays Center Arena in New York.
Besides Ayton and Bagley, other big men to go early included Wendell Carter (Chicago Bulls), Jaren Jackson (Memphis Grizzlies) and Mohamed Bamba (Orlando Magic). All five are six-foot-10 or bigger.
Jackson went fourth overall, Bamba was sixth and Carter one back in seventh.
The Cleveland Cavaliers used the eighth pick to take Alabama guard Collin Sexton, while the champion Golden State Warriors chose Cincinnati guard Jacob Evans with the 29th pick.
