Mar 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) and forward Deni Avdija (8) go for a loose ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Blazers' Surprise Star Emerging as Rebuild 'Centerpiece'

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 4:00 PM ET

A surprise Portland Trail Blazers star has leapt to the front of the line as the franchise's young centerpiece, an insider suggests.

Portland flipped former Sixth Man of the Year point guard Malcolm Brogdon and their second lottery pick in 2024 to the Washington Wizards in exchange for small forward Deni Avdija last summer.

The deal at the time seemed like a worthwhile venture, bringing in a rising young recent lottery pick (Avdija went No. 9 in 2020) as something of a reclamation project, while surrendering the draft rights to what would eventually be Carlton "Bub" Carrington.

In a new ranking of the Nos. 51-100 best players in the league from ESPN, insider Kevin Pelton revealed why Avdija — who went unranked last year — has catapulted to No. 66 this year.

"After a draft-night trade to Portland, Avdija continued his unlikely ascent into a go-to option on offense," Pelton wrote. "Avdija's full-season stats mask some of his development after a slow adjustment to a new system."

Following a slightly shaky season start, Avdija stabilized during his second month in town. His output improved even more in January, as the Trail Blazers began to reconfigure their offense around Avdija and their defense around young power forward Toumani Camara. Soon, the 6-foot-9 Avdija became a constant triple-double threat.

"Starting with his first 20-point game as a Blazer, Avdija averaged 19.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists from Nov. 29 onward. Included were a pair of triple-doubles, matching the most any Portland player has had in a season since Clyde Drexler," Pelton revealed. "For all of the Blazers' recent lottery picks, Avdija looks like the centerpiece of their rebuilding efforts."

All told, Avdija averaged a career-most 16.9 points (on .475/.365/.780 shooting splits), 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks in 72 healthy games (54 starts). And he's still just 24.