Feb 2, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles as Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) defends during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Blazers Rising Star Receives Major Prediction Ahead of 2025-26 Season

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers are looking for a chance to make the playoffs next season. In order for that to happen, they need some of their young guys to step up and make a leap.

Deni Avdija turned out to be their best player last season. He was the one who was most consistent last season, turning into a pretty solid all-around player by the time the year was done.

Avdija is hoping to build on that year by having an even better one next season. Some NBA experts agree and project him to have a big year.

NBA experts expect Den Avidja to in the running for Most Improved

According to a poll of NBA experts on ESPN, they expect Avdija to compete for the Most Improved Player of the Year. They have him finishing fourth in the poll.

The only players above him are Amen Thompson, Andrew Nembhard, and Ausar Thompson. Avdija certainly has a shot to win that award if the Trail Blazers can somehow make the playoffs next season.

With Damian Lillard not ready to play until next season, Portland needs someone to put the ball in the basket. Avdija is going to have plenty of opportunities to do that.

The Trail Blazers are going to need more than just Avdija to make the playoffs, of course. They need Scoot Henderson to take the leap into being a star player next season.

Deni Avdija is the Trail Blazers' best player next season

Avdija needs to prove that he can keep his 3-point shooting up, but he has proven to be the Blazers' best player heading into next season. He's the most consistent overall performer.

He's a solid rebounder, a good defender, and a crafty scorer. All are valuable skills to have at the wing position, which is what the Blazers need from that spot.

If Portland is able to feed the ball to Avdija in the right spots, there's no reason he can't seriously compete for this award by the time the season comes to a close.

Last season, Avdija averaged 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He shot 47.6 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.