Kofi Inkoom
The Washington Wizards have reached an agreement on a contract extension with forward Deni Avdija, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This new deal spans four years and is fully guaranteed, totaling $55 million in value.
Deni Avdija, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft, has played in 212 games for the Wizards over the past three seasons.
During this time, he has maintained an average of 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in approximately 24.8 minutes per game.
Although his performance didn’t see significant improvement since his rookie season, with a career-worst 3-point shooting percentage of .297 in the 2022/23 season, the Wizards decided to extend his contract.
This extension came as a surprise, as Avdija wasn’t considered one of the top candidates for a rookie scale extension in 2023, especially with the significant changes in the Wizards’ front office.
Nevertheless, an agreement was reached just before the deadline, making him the ninth player to secure a rookie scale extension this year.
The value of Avdija’s new deal is almost identical to that of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
According to the NBA’s latest cap projection for the 2024/25 season (projecting a 4.4% increase), a full four-year mid-level exception contract in the following season would be valued at $55.69 million.
In a previous analysis by Rory Maher from our team in July, it was suggested that Avdija’s extension value would likely align with the mid-level exception and that he wouldn’t command more on the open market.
Despite missing the first two preseason games due to back tightness, Avdija is expected to be ready for the regular season.
He might secure a spot in the starting lineup for the Wizards alongside Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, and Daniel Gafford.
Alternatively, if the team decides to start rookie forward Bilal Coulibaly, Avdija could be a key player coming off the bench.