The Portland Trail Blazers made a surprise trade in the hours before the 2024 NBA Draft, securing forward Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards. Parting with two first-round picks, two seconds, and Malcolm Brogdon, General Manager Joe Cronin arguably snared the franchise’s best player this season.
Avdija is averaging 16.9 points on 36.5% shooting from three, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals. Among forwards, he ranks 14th in assist rate and fourth in defensive rebounds. More than that, he’s given the Blazers a two-way player who has the ability to turn a game with his skill, size, speed and grit.