NBA

Deni Avdija has quietly been Portland’s top player to begin the 2025-26 season

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Zach Wolpin
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Zach Wolpin Sports Editor

Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.

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Sports Editor

Updated16 minutes ago on November 06, 2025

Deni Avdija Trail Blazers pic

On Wednesday, November 5, the Trail Blazers were at home to face the unbeaten Thunder. Despite being outscored 41-21 in the first quarter, Portland battled back in the next three. 

The Trail Blazers outscored the Thunder 64-54 in the second half to win the game 121-119. Leading the team with a near triple-double on Wednesday was PF Deni Avdija. He is in his sixth professional season and second with Portland. Deni Avdija has quietly been the Trail Blazers’ top player to begin the 2025-26 season. If he continues this production, he could be voted a first-time all-star.

Deni Avdija is off to a hot start for the Trail Blazers in 2025-26


With the 9th pick in the 2020 NBA draft, the Wizards selected Deni Avdija. He was drafted directly out of high school and played professionally in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Deni Avdija spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with Washington. He appeared in 287 games and made 155 starts. In his best season with the Wizards, Avdija averaged 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

During the 2024 offseason, the Wizards traded Deni Avdija to the Trail Blazers. In return, the Wizards received Malcolm Brodgon, the 14th pick in the 2024 NBA draft (Bub Carrington), a 2029 first-round pick, and two second-round picks. Brogdon has since retired from the NBA. However, Deni Avdija continues to expand his skill set.

Through eight games to begin the 2025-26 season, Deni Avdija is giving the Blazers solid production. His 24.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 33.4 minutes per game would be career-highs if the season ended today. Additionally, Avdija is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game for Portland. The 24-year-old is playing his largest role so far in the NBA and is making the most of it. On Tuesday evening, the Trail Blazers handed the Thunder their first loss of the season.

Deni Avdija led the team with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. He also had two steals and one block in 37 minutes of action. Avdija was one assist away from his third career triple-double. Regardless, the Trail Blazers got a massive win vs. the reigning NBA champions. Portland has a 5-3 record through its first eight games and is on the road Saturday to face the Heat. Can Deni Avdija continue giving the Trail Blazers quality production to begin the season?