History of Deandre Ayton in Timeline

Deandre Ayton is a Bahamian professional basketball player currently with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a highly-rated prospect who played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year. Ayton was the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, selected by the Phoenix Suns. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2019. A significant achievement in his career was helping the Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021, their first appearance since 1993. He now plays for the Lakers.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1960: Stats since Oscar Robertson

On October 17, 2018 Ayton made the third player to record these stats in their debut game since Oscar Robertson in 1960.

1969: Stats since Lew Alcindor

On October 17, 2018 Ayton made the first player to record these stats in their debut game since Lew Alcindor in 1969.

1992: Quickest to reach 1,000 rebounds since 1992

On February 8, Ayton scored 28 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. He became the fourth-quickest player to reach 1,000 since 1992.

1993: Suns reach NBA Finals

In 1993, the Phoenix Suns reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.

1993: Suns Last NBA Finals Appearance

In 2021, Ayton helped lead the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993.

July 23, 1998: Deandre Ayton Born

On July 23, 1998, Deandre Edoneille Ayton Sr. was born. He is now a Bahamian professional basketball player.

2007: Amar'e Stoudemire's performance

In 2007, Amar'e Stoudemire last recorded at least 28 points and 20 rebounds in a game for the Phoenix Suns.

2007: Performance since Shawn Marion in 2007

On January 20, 2021, Ayton had 26 points, 17 rebounds, and a career-high 5 blocks. He became the first Suns player since Shawn Marion in 2007 to put up at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a single game

2009: Suns first eight-game winning streak since 2009

Ayton started in seven of the team's eight games in the 2020 NBA Bubble to give them a perfect 8–0 record there, giving the Suns their first eight-game winning streak since the 2009–10 season, ending their regular season with a 34–39 record.

2010: Playoff Berth since 2010

In 2021, Ayton would help Phoenix clinch their first playoff berth since 2010.

2014: Started on Varsity Basketball Team

In 2014, Ayton started on the varsity basketball team at Balboa School in California and played for two years.

2015: Ranked Top Prospect

In 2015, Ayton was ranked by Scout as the top prospect in all of high school in their "Ultimate 100" list.

2015: Transferred to Hillcrest Prep Academy

In 2015, Deandre Ayton transferred to Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, Arizona for his junior year of high school.

September 6, 2016: Committed to Arizona Wildcats

On September 6, 2016, Ayton committed to play for the Arizona Wildcats and signed his letter of intent, solidifying his college basketball career path.

2016: Nike Hoop Summit

In 2016, Ayton represented the World Select team at the Nike Hoop Summit, contributing eight points and seven rebounds.

2016: Ayton represents The Bahamas in Centrobasket

In 2016, Deandre Ayton represented The Bahamas in the Centrobasket, where he averaged a tournament-leading 11.1 rebounds per game.

2016: Wiretapped conversation in 2016

In 2016, the wiretapped conversation reportedly occurred when Ayton was still attending the Hillcrest Prep Academy.

June 20, 2017: Wiretapped Call

On May 2, 2019, federal prosecutors played a wiretapped call from June 20, 2017, between Dawkins and former assistant coach Emanuel Richardson that Miller was paying Ayton $10,000 per month while enrolled at Arizona.

November 10, 2017: Debut with University of Arizona

On November 10, 2017, Ayton debuted with the University of Arizona, scoring 19 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and blocking 3 shots in a 101–67 victory against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.

December 9, 2017: Season-High Performance

On December 9, 2017, Ayton achieved a season-high (at the time) of 29 points and 18 rebounds in a win against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

December 30, 2017: Season-High Rebounds

On December 30, 2017, Deandre Ayton recorded 19 rebounds against the Arizona State Sun Devils, marking a season-high at the time.

2017: Top Prospect in Recruiting Class

In 2017, Ayton was considered one of the top prospects in the recruiting class by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN.

2017: Top Tier Player

In 2017, Deandre Ayton played with Marvin Bagley III, another top-tier player.

2017: Five-Star Recruit and McDonald's All-American

In 2017, Deandre Ayton was recognized as a consensus five-star prospect in the Class of 2017 and was named a McDonald's All-American.

January 20, 2018: Tied Freshman Record for Blocks

On January 20, 2018, Deandre Ayton tied the Arizona freshman single-game record for most blocked shots with six blocks against Stanford.

February 23, 2018: FBI Wiretap Allegations

On February 23, 2018, an FBI wiretap revealed allegations that Arizona's head coach, Sean Miller, discussed paying Ayton $100,000 to attend the university.

March 3, 2018: Announcement of NBA Draft Entry

On March 3, 2018, after the game against California, head coach Sean Miller announced that Ayton would be entering the 2018 NBA draft at the end of the season.

April 26, 2018: Signed with Agent

On April 26, 2018, Deandre Ayton officially declared for the 2018 NBA draft and announced that he signed with agent Nima Namakian.

June 2018: Puma sponsors Ayton

In June 2018, Puma announced they would sponsor Deandre Ayton after returning to the basketball market.

June 21, 2018: Drafted First Overall by Phoenix Suns

On June 21, 2018, Deandre Ayton was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, marking the franchise's first No. 1 pick in their history.

July 1, 2018: Joined Suns Summer League Squad

On July 1, 2018, Ayton joined the 2018 NBA Summer League Suns squad, starting his journey with the team.

October 11, 2018: Adidas Consultant Payment

On October 11, 2018, a government official revealed that an Adidas consultant paid an unknown amount of money to Ayton's family via Christian Dawkins to attend Adidas sponsored programs.

October 17, 2018: NBA Debut

On October 17, 2018, Deandre Ayton made his NBA debut, recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a win against the Dallas Mavericks.

2018: Marvin Bagley III #2 pick

In 2015, Deandre Ayton became teammates with 2018's #2 pick Marvin Bagley III.

2018: NBA Draft First Overall Pick

In 2018, Ayton was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2018: Comparisons before NBA Draft

Prior to his draft in 2018, ESPN analyst Jay Williams compared Deandre Ayton to David Robinson and Anthony Davis.

January 29, 2019: Rising Stars Challenge Selection

On January 29, 2019, Deandre Ayton was selected as a member of the World Team for the Rising Stars Challenge in the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend.

May 2, 2019: Wiretapped Call Played in Court

On May 2, 2019, federal prosecutors played a wiretapped call from June 20, 2017, that suggested Miller was paying Ayton $10,000 per month while enrolled at Arizona, adding to the ongoing controversy.

September 10, 2019: Ayton holds relief drive for Hurricane Dorian victims

On September 10, 2019, Deandre Ayton held a relief drive to collect supplies and donations for those affected by Hurricane Dorian.

October 24, 2019: Suspension for violating anti-drug policy

On October 24, 2019, Deandre Ayton was suspended for 25 games after testing positive for a diuretic, violating the league's anti-drug policy.

2019: NBA All-Rookie First Team

In 2019, Deandre Ayton was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, recognizing his outstanding performance during his rookie season.

January 3, 2020: Returned as Starter

On January 3, 2020, Deandre Ayton returned to the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns, playing as a power forward in a win against the New York Knicks.

March 6, 2021: Ayton welcomes his first son

On March 6, 2021, Deandre Ayton welcomed his first son, Deandre Ayton Jr.

2021: NBA Finals Appearance

In 2021, Deandre Ayton played a key role in leading the Phoenix Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993.

2021: Team's Leading Rebounder and Scorer

On January 18 and 20, 2021, Ayton would return from the team's three-game suspension (due to COVID-19 protocols in the middle of January) with back-to-back nights as the team's leading rebounder and scorer.

March 23, 2022: Ayton scores career-high 35 points

On March 23, 2022, Deandre Ayton scored a career-high 35 points, along with 14 rebounds, in a 125–116 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

July 14, 2022: Ayton signs offer sheet with Pacers

On July 14, 2022, Deandre Ayton signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, the largest in league history for a restricted free agent.

July 18, 2022: Ayton signs contract with Suns

On July 18, 2022, Deandre Ayton signed a multi-year contract with the Phoenix Suns, after the team matched the Pacers' offer.

February 4, 2023: Ayton ties season-high with 31 points

On February 4, 2023, Deandre Ayton tied his season-high with 31 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 116–110 win over the Detroit Pistons.

September 27, 2023: Ayton traded to Portland Trail Blazers

On September 27, 2023, Deandre Ayton was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team trade.

2023: Ayton joins Bahamas national team

In 2023, Deandre Ayton joined the Bahamas national team for the 2024 Olympics Pre-Qualifying Tournament.

January 17, 2024: Ayton misses game due to weather

On January 17, 2024, Deandre Ayton missed a game against the Brooklyn Nets because of icy conditions in his neighborhood preventing travel to the Moda Center.