Suns center Deandre Ayton, who sprained his left ankle in Friday’s win over New Orleans, has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Houston and will be reevaluated in one week, the team announced today (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
As Rankin notes, Ayton sustained the injury when he landed on Jonas Valanciunas‘ foot after attempting a shot during the first quarter on Friday. The former No. 1 overall pick left the game and didn’t return, with Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale handling center duties for the rest of the night.
Both Biyombo and Landale figure to play increased roles for Phoenix during the next week while Ayton remains sidelined. He’ll likely miss at least Sunday’s game vs. Houston, Tuesday’s contest vs. Minnesota, and the first half of a back-to-back set vs. Portland next Friday and Saturday. It’s unclear at this point whether the 24-year-old might be cleared for the second half of that back-to-back.
After having his four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet from Indiana matched by the Suns this offseason, Ayton had gotten off to a strong start, averaging 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in his first four appearances (30.7 MPG). He had four points and three boards on Friday before exiting the game.