Former Forward Lashes Out Against Wizards

Fans of the Washington Wizards weren't prepared when the franchise suddenly traded Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers last year. As it turns out, neither was he.

He recently opened up to Ynet on the most recent hiccup in his basketball journey, with the former Washington cornerstone forced to quickly adjust to a completely different situation once it grew clear that the rebooted Wizards rebuild wouldn't be requiring his services. He's been granted some perspective while he prepares to represent his hometown Israel in EuroBasket, and had some unusually harsh words for his recent employers.

“People were beside me for so many years, and I created a close, strong connection with them. The moment they traded me, it felt like a knife in the back,” Deni Avdija told Efrat Amourban. “I understand it's business and part of this league, but I'm always loyal to the team and the people who worked with me."

He goes on to praise his new destination, crediting his possessing the "character and abilities to fit in anywhere with anyone." After just one season on the opposite coastline, he feels a strong difference between the two NBA teams he's suited up for.

"At the point I was there, I think Portland wanted me more, believed in me more, planned to give me a bigger stage."

Avdija put up a good sample size of games with the Wizards, developing more every year as the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and settling in as one of the better two-way players in the league. He can guard multiple positions with good size and speed, and handles the ball well enough to elevate him above standard complementary 3&D talks.

His trade out of D.C. was announced an hour before the 2024 Draft kicked off, with the Wizards getting that night's No. 14 pick that eventually turned into Bub Carrington along with Malcolm Brogdon. While everyone knew that new Washington management was looking to make splashes, few saw that particular move coming at that specific time.

He's already fit in well with the Blazers, averaging career-highs in points per game with 16.9 along with 7.3 boards a night. The versatile forward didn't fit the Wizards' future plans as a remaining relic of a previous attempt at rebuild, but fans will be happy to see him comfortably find his footing elsewhere, even if he's still displeased about how his departure was handled.