Trail Blazers' Deandre Ayton: Late addition to injury report

Ayton suffered a left ankle sprain in Tuesday's loss to the Grizzlies

The Portland Trail Blazers have listed center Deandre Ayton as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a left ankle sprain. Ayton suffered the injury in the third quarter of Tuesday's 122-112 loss to the Grizzlies and did not return.

X-rays on Ayton's ankle were negative, but he is still experiencing pain and swelling. The severity of the injury is still being evaluated, but it is possible that Ayton could miss multiple games.

Ayton has been a key player for the Trail Blazers this season

Ayton is averaging 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season. He is also shooting 61.6% from the field. Ayton's presence in the paint has been a major factor in the Trail Blazers' success this season.

If Ayton is unable to play, the Trail Blazers will likely start Jusuf Nurkic at center. Nurkic is a capable scorer and rebounder, but he is not as good of a defender as Ayton. The Trail Blazers will also need to find a way to replace Ayton's production on the offensive end of the floor.

The Trail Blazers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference

The Trail Blazers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference with a record of 26-25. They are one game behind the fifth-place Denver Nuggets and two games ahead of the seventh-place Minnesota Timberwolves. The Trail Blazers are in a good position to make the playoffs, but they will need to stay healthy in order to do so.