Deni Avdija

Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Avdija, Westbrook, Nuggets, Jazz

Speaking to reporters this week for the first time as a member of the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein said all the right things about his potential role, as Rylan Stiles of SI.com relays.

There has been plenty of debate in Oklahoma City this summer about whether the team’s major free agent addition will start or come off the bench, given the presence of Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren at center. For his part, Hartenstein sidestepped that discourse, telling the media that he trusts head coach Mark Daigneault‘s judgment in managing the lineup and rotation.

“Whatever he does, he’s a really versatile coach. I mean, you watched last year. Some games the guys who would start would start the second half,” Hartenstein said. “(I’m) just being here and doing whatever the team needs to win. If that’s coming off the bench or starting, I’m just here to help the team win. That’s the main thing.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Having been traded from Washington to the Trail Blazers in July, Deni Avdija admitted it initially felt “kind of weird” to join a new team, but added that he’s adjusting quickly, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “They’ve embraced me, they love me and they want me to get better,” Avdija said. “And I feel like that’s what you need as a new guy joining the team. I feel like my teammates support me, coaches. I feel at home.” Head coach Chauncey Billups referred to Avdija as a “Swiss Army knife-type of dude,” lauding the forward’s play-making, passing, screening, and shooting while noting that the plan is to use him “all over” the court.
  • The addition of Russell Westbrook represents the “ultimate chemistry experiment” for the Nuggets, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who says the move has the potential to blow up — or to help Denver win another title. Westbrook shot just 3-of-10 from the floor in his preseason debut on Friday in Abu Dhabi, but had 12 points and eight assists in 19 minutes, with Denver outscoring Boston by four points during that time. “I thought Russ had some good moments out there,” head coach Michael Malone said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Obviously playing downhill, putting pressure on the defense, getting his teammates involved. So overall for his first game after a week or so of practice, I think there are gonna be some positives, and like everybody else in that locker room, there are plenty of things that we can clean up as well.”
  • Although Christian Braun started at shooting guard on Friday, Malone said that both Braun and Julian Strawther will get an opportunity to play with the Nuggets‘ starters during the preseason, tweets Durando.
  • Reporting throughout the offseason indicated the Jazz plan to lean heavily on their young players in 2024/25, which will serve the dual purpose of letting Utah thoroughly assess its recent first-round picks while also potentially lining up the club for another high first-round pick next June. Head coach Will Hardy‘s comments this week reinforced the notion that winning games isn’t “the absolutely priority” for the team this season, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Going into this season, I think our vision is very clear: This is an opportunity for us to really invest in our youth,” Hardy said.

Northwest Notes: Blockbuster Trade, Clingan, Avdija, SGA, Holmgren

The three-team blockbuster deal that would send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves is still on track but has not been completed, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

The expectation is that the deal, which also includes the Hornets, will become official early this week, Shelburne adds. Thus, the players in the deal won’t be at their respective training camps when they open on Monday.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • With the Trail Blazers about to open camp, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report explores the five biggest storylines heading into the season. That includes the learning curve for lottery pick Donovan Clingan, the backcourt rotation, and how offseason acquisition Deni Avdija will fit in.
  • In a similar theme, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated takes a look at one question that each Thunder player must answer as they head into training camp as the Western Conference favorites. Some of the topics Stiles explores is whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can add a 3-point shot to round out his offensive game, whether Chet Holmgren will experience an offensive uptick and what role newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein will play.
  • In another Thunder-related story, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman lists a number of potential starting lineups they could employ and the strengths of each of those combinations. He also looks at a number of combinations the coaching staff could use during the course of the game.

Northwest Notes: Williams, Filipowski, Blazers Arena, Henderson, Thunder

Lottery pick Cody Williams was the Jazz’s most impressive player in the Las Vegas Summer League, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones. Williams displayed an immense skill level there after struggling in the Salt Lake City Summer League. Jones believes Williams should get immediate playing time in the NBA and go through the natural ups and downs of a rookie, rather than being sent to the G League.

Early second-rounder Kyle Filipowski showed enough skill and athleticism to make people wonder why he slid out of the first round, Jones adds. However, the seven-footer had a tough time when he slid over to the power forward spot.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Portland City Council will consider two ordinances to extend a short-term lease between the city and the Trail Blazers’ ‘Rip City Management’ for the Moda Center, according to Aimee Plante of koin.com. The current lease is scheduled to end next year but the proposed agreement would keep the Blazers at their current arena through 2030 with a possible extension into 2035. That would give Portland officials more time to develop a major renovation plan for the Moda Center, the oldest NBA arena to have never undergone a significant upgrade.
  • If the Trail Blazers don’t make any trades before the regular season, 2023 lottery pick Scoot Henderson will likely come off the bench, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). He’d back up Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Deni Avdija, acquired in a trade with Washington, will likely start at small forward with Toumani Camara backing him up, Highkin writes, adding that the Blazers have an open two-way spot but probably won’t fill it until training camp.
  • The Thunder‘s over/under win total for next season is 56.5, according to BetMGM, the highest among Western Conference teams. The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto believes they’ll surpass that figure. Oklahoma City won 57 games last season and Mussatto considers Alex Caruso a short-term upgrade over Josh Giddey. He also sees major free agent acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein as a better backup center than Jaylin Williams.

Western Notes: Morant, Klay, Wiggins, Barnes, Avdija

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been cleared for all basketball activities, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Morant, who missed the first 25 games of the 2023/24 season due to a suspension, returned to action in December and immediately provided a spark for the Grizzlies, who won six of nine games with the star point guard in the lineup. However, a labral tear in Morant’s right shoulder ended his season after those nine games. He has been recovering from surgery in the months since then.

The Grizzlies were one of the NBA’s most injury-plagued teams in ’23/24, but head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters back in April that only Morant projected to have a recovery timeline extending well into the offseason. With a fully healthy roster, there’s optimism in Memphis that the club can bounce back from a 27-55 year and look more like the club that went 107-57 over the previous two regular seasons.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

  • Referring to his deal with the Mavericks as a “fresh start,” Klay Thompson told reporters on Tuesday that he’s optimistic about “kind of being rejuvenated” in Dallas, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN details. “Feeling just wanted again, like I bring great value, it just gets me excited to go out there and even work out after this press conference and get shots up,” Thompson said. “Yeah, there was times last year where it was tough, where it wasn’t as joyful as it was in the past. It’s nice to kind of shed that and have a whole new fresh start, whole new group of guys to get to know, co-workers, whole new city. It’s really cool, and I’m going to embrace the heck out of this opportunity.” In a story for The Athletic, Tim Cato takes a look at how Thompson will fit in on the Mavs’ roster.
  • Aaron Wiggins‘ new five-year contract with the Thunder is worth $45MM, with $2MM in bonuses that could push it up to the initially reported total of $47MM, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The deal has a descending structure and includes a fifth-year team option, Scotto adds.
  • New Spurs forward Harrison Barnes confirmed on Tuesday that he waived his $3.7MM trade kicker to facilitate his move to San Antonio, calling it a “pretty easy decision” and adding that he’s excited about playing for head coach Gregg Popovich, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
  • New Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija admitted on Monday that he was surprised to be traded by the Wizards, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “I think they really love me,” Avdija said of his old team. “I’ve done a lot for that organization. It was just not the timeline, I guess.” Now that he has gotten past that initial surprise, the 23-year-old is “excited” about the new opportunity in front of him. “They’ve welcomed me very well, so it’s a good start,” he said. “I’m glad to be in a place where people embrace me and love me. I’m going to bring my competitiveness, and we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Wizards Trade Deni Avdija To Trail Blazers

JULY 6: The trade is official, according to press release from the Wizards and the Trail Blazers. The terms are outlined below, with the rights to No. 14 pick Carlton Carrington headed to Washington along with Brogdon and the three future draft picks.


JUNE 26: The Wizards and Trail Blazers have agreed to a trade that will send forward Deni Avdija to Portland, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

In exchange for Avdija, Washington will receive guard Malcolm Brogdon, the No. 14 pick in Wednesday night’s draft, a 2029 first-round pick, and two second-rounders, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The 2029 pick will be the second-most favorable of the three first-rounders Portland controls, per Wojnarowski. Besides their own pick, the Blazers hold the Celtics’ and Bucks’ first-rounders in ’29.

The two second-rounders will be 2028 and 2030 picks, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The ’28 second-rounder could be either the Blazers’ own pick or the Warriors’ pick (Portland controls both), while the ’30 second-rounder will be either the Blazers’ own pick or the Knicks’ pick.

Avdija, who was selected ninth overall in the 2020 draft, has spent his first four NBA seasons in Washington and enjoyed a breakout year in 2023/24. In 75 games (all starts), he established new career highs in points (14.7), rebounds (7.2), and assists (3.8) per contest, as well as FG% (.506) and 3PT% (.374). The performance earned him a sixth-place finish in the Most Improved Player vote.

The 23-year-old is also on a very team-friendly contract for the next several seasons. He signed a four-year, $55MM rookie scale extension last offseason that will go into effect in July and will run through the 2027/28 season. It has a declining structure, starting at about $15.6MM and dipping to $11.9MM by year four.

While it’s a little surprising to see the retooling Trail Blazers as an aggressive buyer on the trade market, Avdija’s age and contract make him an ideal long-term fit in Portland. The deal will also create some financial flexibility for the Blazers, who projected to be over the first tax apron in 2024/25. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, moving off of Brogdon’s expiring $22.5MM salary and the No. 14 pick (which had a cap hold of about $4.5MM) will move team salary out of luxury tax territory.

Brogdon has appeared in more than 56 games just once in the past five seasons due to injuries and only played 39 times in 2023/24. However, he remains effective when he’s available, averaging 15.7 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.8 RPG in 28.7 MPG with a .440/.412/.819 shooting line in his first and only season as a Blazer. The 31-year-old won the Sixth Man of the Year award with Boston in 2023 but was sent to Portland in the Jrue Holiday trade last fall.

Still, it’s safe to assume that the draft pick were the primary motivator for the rebuilding Wizards, who were rumored for much of the spring to be eyeing a third first-round pick. While Avdija would have fit Washington’s timeline too, he was part of the roster that the current front office – led by team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins – inherited, so it seems they weren’t especially attached to him. Winger and Dawkins have reportedly made it a priority to build the new-look Wizards’ roster through the draft.

It’s unclear if the Wizards will keep Brogdon for the 2024/25 season or look to flip him to a new team. The veteran would make a logical trade chip, given his expiring contract and his age, and sources indeed tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) that he’ll be a candidate to be traded again. But Brogdon could also provide depth and veteran leadership in Washington’s backcourt if the team loses point guard Tyus Jones in free agency.

Due to the poison pill provision, the trade can’t be completed until July, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). That means the Blazers will make their pick at No. 14 tonight on behalf of the Wizards.

Sixers’ Maxey Named Most Improved Player

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for the 2023/24 season, the league’s communications department tweets.

Maxey edged out Bulls guard Coby White for the award. Maxey received 51 of 99 first-place votes while recording 319 voting points. White had just 32 first-place votes, but showed up on more ballots (91) than Maxey (79) and compiled 305 points.

The third finalist, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, was a distant third with six first-place votes and 92 points.

Thunder forward Jalen Williams and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson finished fourth and fifth, respectively, according to the NBA, which revealed the full voting results on Twitter.

A total of 14 players appeared on at least one ballot, with Wizards forward Deni Avdija and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton each earning one first-place vote.

Maxey, who is expected to sign a maximum-salary contract this offseason as a restricted free agent, ranked 11th in the NBA in points per game (+5.6 PPG from last season) and 20th in assists per game (+2.7 APG from last season). The first-time All-Star also made a career-high 212 three-pointers, up from 160 last season.

Maxey recorded three games of 50 or more points, tied for the most in the NBA. Those were the first 50-point games of his four-year career.

Maxey is the first member of the Sixers to win the award since Dana Barros was the leading vote-getter for the 1994/95 season.

Southeast Notes: Avdija, Jovic, Heat Struggles, Clifford

Wizards forward Deni Avdija signed a four-year, $55MM extension with the team last offseason. The fact that a new front office regime – rather than the one that drafted him – offered him that contract was a shot of confidence for Avdija, signaling the franchise’s belief in the former No. 9 overall pick, The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace writes.

Avdija, 23, has rewarded that faith with his best professional season yet, averaging career bests of 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while connecting on a career-high 50.9% of his shots from the field and 37.8% of his three-pointers. Avdija explained that getting that contract from the Wizards last year felt like a weight removed from his chest and allowed him to focus on basketball.

Deni’s been great,” interim coach Brian Keefe said. “Growth has been tremendous. We’ve put the ball in his hands to make plays for himself, for others. The rebounding has been great. We’re going to keep pushing Deni to do more because we think he can be — do — more.

In an otherwise poor season, Avdija has been a bright spot for the Wizards and looks like a centerpiece going forward as the club navigates a rebuild. Amid uncertainty, he led Washington in starts this season and recorded 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the home finale on Friday.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • When the Heat first inserted 20-year-old Nikola Jovic into the starting lineup this season, it was seen as more of an experiment than a long-term solution, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel writes. Flash forward to April, and Jovic has held firm on a starting spot as the Heat approach the postseason. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 39.5% from three in his last 25 starts and has provided the team with a stretch big who can run the floor next to Bam Adebayo. “He’s improved in so many of the areas. It started with his work ethic,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I often have to remind myself that Niko is 20.” With Tyler Herro healthy, it’s possible Miami switches up its lineup in the postseason, but Jovic will likely remain a part of the rotation, starter or not.
  • Injuries and an inefficient offense continue to be a thorn in Miami’s side this season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The Heat entered Thursday with the fifth-most missed games in the NBA due to injury — and the most of any team with a winning record. Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier are among the key rotation pieces currently absent for the Heat, and it doesn’t help that they’ve scored fewer than 100 points in a game 18 times this year, going 2-16 in such outings. “Ultimately, we have to figure out a way that we can try to play somewhat the same identity on the offensive end game to game,” Herro said. The Heat are left to scramble for answers whenever Jimmy Butler and/or Adebayo have an off night, according to Chiang.
  • Steve Clifford‘s tenure with the Hornets is ending, but the veteran coach isn’t taking his foot off the gas pedal even with his team long eliminated from the postseason, per The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. “We have good, young guys that can continue to grow,” Clifford said. Regardless of the lack of postseason appearances and the amount of injuries over the course of his second stint with Charlotte, Clifford is thankful for getting a second chance to coach this team. He’s set to move into a consultant position under the guidance of vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson after the season. “The consulting thing is tricky,” Clifford said, “… you have to pick your spots and figure out what areas you can most help in.

Injury Notes: Middleton, J. Johnson, Harden, Heat, Avdija

Bucks forward Khris Middleton still isn’t quite healthy enough to return from the ankle injury that has sidelined him since February 6, head coach Doc Rivers said on Thursday, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).

“He’s just not ready,” Rivers said. “He’s close, as I’ve said for, I don’t know, 10 games now, it feels like it, but he’s really close. I’ll stop there.”

After wrapping up a four-game road trip on Tuesday, the Bucks are back in Milwaukee for a two-game homestand and will have days off on Friday and Saturday between those two contests. Those off days could result in some practice time for Middleton, Rivers noted.

“It does help,” Rivers said. “We have two days off. And we may practice on both days, which is unusual to do, number one, and unusual that you have two days. But we feel like we may do it regardless, just to get him some time with the guys.”

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, who has missed the past three games due to a right ankle sprain, has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable for Friday’s game in Utah, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. There’s optimism Johnson will be available for that matchup with the Jazz, adds Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
  • Star forward Kawhi Leonard was available for the Clippers on Thursday after leaving Tuesday’s contest due to back spasms, but James Harden missed the game in Chicago due to a left shoulder strain. As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, it snapped a streak of 59 straight appearances for Harden, his longest such run since 2017.
  • Injured Heat guard Tyler Herro and big man Kevin Love didn’t travel with the team to Detroit for Friday’s contest, the first of a four-game road trip, per Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. While Herro (right foot) and Love (right heel) could meet up with the Heat at some point during the trip, it doesn’t appear either player is on the verge of returning.
  • Wizards forward Deni Avdija left Thursday’s game vs. Houston following an awkward collision with Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (video link) and told Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link) after the game that his left knee is sore. However, he’s optimistic about his prognosis. I feel like I kind of avoided something severe, and I’m happy about that,” Avdija said. “That’s all that matters.”

Wizards Notes: Avdija, Coulibaly, Davis, Hampton

Wizards forward Deni Avdija might have turned a corner in his NBA career, highlighted by a career-high 43 points and season-high 15 rebounds on Wednesday against the Pelicans, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes.

It’s a little emotional,” Avdija said. “I never thought that, coming to the league, seeing all those numbers, those big players score those points, [I would be] able to be that hot. All the hard work, the times that I was down or I didn’t have good games — and I was down on myself a lot of times — I [stuck] with it. I kept working hard, I kept being patient. I went through a lot. And for me, it’s only the start. I feel like I’m still getting better.

The Wizards have exercised patience with Avdija, the ninth overall pick in 2020. Robbins writes that while he hasn’t turned into a star like others selected after him — such as Tyrese Haliburton or Tyrese Maxey — he’s always been a versatile defensive player with secondary ball-handling upside.

But now, Avdija is improving at a rapid rate. As Robbins observes, he has been far better from three this season, shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc (up from 29.7% in 2022/23) and has also become a better driver and finisher at the rim. Interim head coach Brian Keefe is helping Avdija play to his strengths by increasing Washington’s pace of play, Robbins writes.

Avdija is averaging career highs of 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest this season. In his last four games, he has averaged 28.3 points and 11.5 rebounds.

We have more on the Wizards:

  • Rookie Bilal Coulibaly has been tasked with guarding some of the NBA’s top players as a teenager, and though the results fluctuate, he’s been impressive through his young career, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post writes (subscriber link). “He’s had his ups and downs like every other rookie, but I think he’s composed, he’s working hard, he knows what he needs to do on the court and he’s very decisive,” Avdija said. “He’s very confident for a rookie. That’s important.” Wallace writes that Coulibaly has impressive maturity for his age, due largely to his upbringing.
  • Selecting Johnny Davis over the likes of Jalen Williams, Jalen Duren and Mark Williams is looking like a major whiff for the Wizards, Zach Lowe of ESPN opines (Insider link). Davis has spent more time in his career in the G League than the NBA after being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He’s averaging 2.3 points in only 8.0 minutes per game this season, and while it’s still early in his career, his playing time has only decreased in his second season.
  • After he was waived by the Heat, the Wizards’ G League affiliate acquired the rights to R.J. Hampton in exchange for the returning player rights to Trevion Williams and a 2024 first-round pick (Twitter link via the Capital City Go-Go). While his numbers were modest in eight games with Miami, Hampton showed some flashes and made a pair of starts. He averaged 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the G League with the Heat’s affiliate this season. With the Wizards waiving Delon Wright, they have just 13 players on standard contracts. All of Jules Bernard, Eugene Omoruyi and Jared Butler — Washington’s two-way players — have impressed in the G League. If Washington promotes one of them, Hampton could be a logical choice for a two-way.

Trade Rumors: Sixers, Wizards, Wiggins, Nuggets, Suns

Within a discussion about the trade deadline in the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst of ESPN identified the Bucks as one of the most active teams on the trade market, suggested the Nets have explored both buying and selling, and said that he expects the Sixers to make at least one trade by Thursday’s deadline. Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Furkan Korkmaz, and Danuel House are among Philadelphia’s most likely trade candidates, per Windhorst.

During that same Hoop Collective conversation, Windhorst stated he expects the Wizards to make at least one deadline deal, though he’s skeptical it will involve Kyle Kuzma, identifying Tyus Jones as the player more likely to be on the move. Windhorst added that Washington has also had talks involving Deni Avdija, though he’d be surprised if the fourth-year wing is dealt.

Here are a few more trade rumors from across the NBA:

  • In addition to joining the list of teams with interest in Bulls center Andre Drummond, the Sixers continue to scour the trade market for outside shooting, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article. Buddy Hield is one potential target, as Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday, and Bojan Bogdanovic is another clear fit, Stein writes. According to Stein, however, the Pistons are seeking at least a first-round pick in exchange for Bogdanovic and have let teams know that their preference is to keep him.
  • After reporting on Tuesday that Dallas’ interest in Andrew Wiggins may be overstated, Stein says he has heard the same about the Bucks‘ reported interest in the Warriors‘ forward. Still, Golden State is expected to continue exploring trade possibilities for Wiggins up until Thursday’s deadline, Stein writes.
  • Appearing on 92.5 FM in Denver on Wednesday, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said he doesn’t expect the team to make a move at the deadline, per Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports (Twitter link).
  • Phoenix doesn’t intend to give up any of its few remaining trade assets for a mere insurance policy, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who tweets that if the Suns are going to acquire a player, they would need to view that player as someone who would be part of their eight- or nine-man playoff rotation.