Mar 17, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers small forward Deni Avdija (8) stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Washington Wizards at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Deni Avdija Shares Emotional Reaction to Wizards Trade

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated Mar 18, 2025 2:16 PM ET

In the NBA, players typically learn that life comes at you fast. Your life and schedule are extremely busy during the regular season and even in the offseason as well. Players learn and realize early on that the NBA is a business. Former Washington Wizard forward Deni Avdija felt these settlements last year.

Deni Avdija has been a very important piece to the puzzle for the Wizards over these last couple of years. The 6'9 forward had his best season for the Wizards last season as he averaged 15 points per game, to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. The Wizards drafted Deni Avdija with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

After spending his first four seasons in the league with the Wizards, Deni Avdija was surprisingly traded to the Portland Trailblazers. This move caught everyone by surprise as he was playing so well for the Wizards. The Wizards relied on him heavily as he had his best season there. That is what made the trade difficult to process.

Perhaps the Wizards may have felt Avdija has met his ceiling. No matter the case, after working so hard for the Wizards, it certainly caught Deni by surprise. Former Wizard Deni Avdija finally opened up and spoke about being traded to the Blazers.

EXCLUSIVE: The trade from Washington is not something the usually affable Deni Avdija enjoys talking about.

"It all just disappeared in a second."@JoshuaBRobbins spoke to Avdija about how the draft-night trade stunned him — and hurt him.https://t.co/XS1ZoL5Ifn pic.twitter.com/pszn0fcd0I
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) March 18, 2025

"I woke up. I saw I got traded, and it was very hard for me," Avdija said.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that he had a hard time handling the trade. Being drafted in the top 10 of the 2020 NBA Draft may have caused him to believe he was a franchise cornerstone piece for the Wizards, especially after how well he played. What made matters worse is he was traded right after his regular season ended.

"All the friendships that I had with the guys there, the city, the fans—it all just disappeared in a second," Avdija added.

Avdija undoubtedly experienced a very emotional time adjusting to a new life in the NBA across the country. In a sense, he has had to start over. No matter the case, he is still averaging 15 points, seven rebounds, and four rebounds per game, the same stats he averaged in Washington. Perhaps Avdija has reached his ceiling/peak in the NBA.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: