Ayton made his NBA debut in the season opener on October 17 , 2018 and earned a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds , as well as a season-high 6 assists , a steal , and a block with 36 minutes played as a starter in a 121 – 100 win over the Dallas Mavericks . It made Ayton the first player to record these stats in their debut game since Lew Alcindor in 1969 , as well as the third player since Oscar Robertson in 1960 . Five days later , Ayton recorded a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds ( alongside 5 assists ) in a 123 – 103 loss to the Golden State Warriors . On October 27 , he recorded 24 points on near-perfect shooting ( 12/13 shots made ) alongside 5 assists in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies . He became the second rookie in 40 seasons ( first being Adam Keefe ) to score at least 12 shots with a 90 % or higher field goal percentage . Six days later , Ayton recorded a double-double of 17 points and a season-high 18 rebounds in a 107 – 98 loss to the Toronto Raptors . Ayton later recorded a new career-high of 33 points , alongside 14 rebounds , in a 122 – 118 loss to the Denver Nuggets on December 29 . Through the first half of the season , Ayton started in every game for the Suns when he was healthy , save for one . On January 29 , 2019 , Ayton was named a member of the World Team for the Rising Stars Challenge in the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend . On March 27 , Ayton broke Alvan Adams ' rookie record for most double-doubles recorded by a rookie in franchise history . However , Ayton sprained his left ankle three days later against the Memphis Grizzlies , ending his rookie season early . He became the third rookie in a decade to average a double-double in their rookie season , joining Blake Griffin and Karl-Anthony Towns . At the conclusion of the season , Ayton got named as one of three finalists for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in the 2019 NBA Awards show . On May 21 , Ayton was selected to the 2019 All-Rookie First Team
2019 NBA Awards
2019 NBA Awards
Deandre Ayton