Kofi Inkoom
The Washington Wizards are trading Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers for Malcolm Brogdon and the 14th pick tonight and 2029 pick, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 2029 pick will be the second-best among the three first-round picks controlled by Portland. Alongside their own selection, the Blazers also possess first-rounders from the Celtics and Bucks for that year.
Deni Avdija, drafted ninth overall in 2020, has played his first four NBA seasons with the Washington Wizards. He had a breakout season in 2023/24, starting all 75 games and setting career highs in points (14.7), rebounds (7.2), and assists (3.8) per game.
He also improved his field goal shooting to 50.6% and three-point shooting to 37.4%. Avdija’s performance earned him sixth place in the Most Improved Player voting.
At 23 years old, he is under a very team-friendly contract extension signed last fall—a four-year, $55 million deal that begins this July and decreases annually from about $15.6 million to $11.9 million by the fourth year.
The Blazers’ aggressive move to acquire Avdija might seem surprising given their retooling phase, but his youth and team-friendly contract make him a perfect long-term addition for Portland.
This trade also helps the Blazers manage their finances better, especially since they were projected to exceed the luxury tax threshold in the upcoming season.
Brogdon, on the other hand, has struggled with injuries, playing more than 56 games only once in the last five seasons and appearing in just 39 games in 2023/24. Despite this, he remains effective on the court, averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game with solid shooting percentages.
The 31-year-old was recognized as the Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 while with Boston before being traded to Portland in the Jrue Holiday deal last year.
Whether the Wizards retain Brogdon for the 2024/25 season or use him as a trade asset remains uncertain. With his expiring contract and veteran experience, he could be a valuable piece for another team, and reports suggest that he’s likely to be shopped around again, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.