Phoenix Suns sign draft picks Ayton, Bridges, Okobo and King
Jul 6, 2018, 10:10 AM
Arizona's Deandre Ayton, right, poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after he was picked first overall by the Phoenix Suns during the NBA basketball draft in New York, Thursday, June 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
(AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
The Phoenix Suns announced Friday the signing of their four 2018 NBA Draft picks: Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo and George King.
Ayton, the Suns’ first overall selection, attended the University of Arizona and stands at 7-foot-1 and 250 pounds. He averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks with the Wildcats and was a consensus first team All-American. He is the first No. 1 overall pick in NBA history to be drafted by a team in the same state where he went to college and high school, according to a release from the Suns.
Bridges was considered to be one of the better 3-and-D prospects in the draft and was acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night. Phoenix selected Zhaire Smith at No. 16 and sent him to the Sixers for Bridges, who went 10th overall. The Suns also gave up a future draft pick that once belonged to the Miami Heat. Bridges won two titles at Villanova and averaged 17.7 points in 2018.
Okobo was taken at No. 31 overall and is a point guard from Pau-Lacq-Orthez in France’s LNB Pro A league. In 34 games last season, the 20-year-old averaged 12.9 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals. He had a 44-point game in the postseason.
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King is a product of the Pac-12’s Colorado Buffaloes and was named to All-Pac-12 Second Team in his senior year. He shot 40.1 percent from three and averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in his last three seasons.
The Suns begin NBA Summer League play on Friday. You can catch their first two games — on Friday and Saturday, respectively — on ESPN 620 AM.
