Deandre Ayton Shuts Down Workouts After Suns Meeting: 'I Know I'm Going No. 1'

Deandre Ayton has no doubts: He's going to be drafted by the Phoenix Suns.

"I know I'm going No. 1," Ayton told reporters Wednesday following his workout with the Suns, who hold the top overall selection in the June 21 draft.

Ayton, a heavy favorite to be the No. 1 pick, will not conduct any more workouts. He said he did not receive a promise from anyone in the Suns organization.

"Nobody told me [I'll go first]," Ayton said. "That's just me. I think I deserve that. I've worked hard. I won't say I'm the best player. I won't say that. I will say on the competitive level, I'm the best competitor."

The 7'1" big man averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game during his lone season at Arizona. He's drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, though his defense has a long way to go before warranting that status. Like many young players, Ayton has a habit of missing rotations and lacking energy on defense.

Slovenian guard Luka Doncic is the main threat to Ayton at No. 1, but his contractual status muddies things. Doncic is under contract with Spanish club Real Madrid, which means he will have to negotiate a buyout. It's not seen as a guarantee that he'll be in the NBA for 2018-19, though it's expected.

Ayton, though, is clearly the top option at No. 1. He's a 7-footer whose range stretches to the three-point arc, he put up massive numbers in college and he's a potential two-way menace who fits perfectly in the modern NBA.

"It's great, it's great. We take that obviously as a compliment," Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said of Ayton's comments. "He has a lot of strong ties to this area. He's been working out here, he's been training here. … The fact that he wants to be here, that's great."

With two weeks until draft day, Ayton is poised to go No. 1. It may just be the worst-kept secret in the NBA until Adam Silver steps to the podium.