Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has had a long journey to his stardom status in the NBA. This is currently his sixth season in the NBA and was an all-star for the first time in his NBA career this season.
His NBA journey started with the Washington Wizards. Avdija was the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He played for the Wizards for four seasons. Avdija was traded from Washington to Portland after the 2023-24 season.
During the 2025-26 season with Portland, he has appeared in 48 games. Avdija is averaging 24.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.6 APG, 0.6 BPG, and 0.8 SPG. He is also shooting 46.3% from the field this season as well. Avdija is 17th in the NBA in points per game. Is he on his way to becoming a superstar in the NBA?
NBA Analyst Believes That Portland Trail Blazers Forward Deni Avdija Is on Way to Super Stardom
Morten Stig Jensen of yahoo.com covers the NBA. He wrote about three potential players who could be on their way to becoming a superstar in the league and one of them is Avdija. Jensen said, "When a guy averages 24.4 points, 7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and makes the All-Star game, presumably he's on his way to ultimate superstardom.
Except, Avdija still has a ways to go, and at 25, this does look like his major leap. He'll refine on what he does now and improve within the margins of his current game, but is there another step up from here?
As good as the 6-9 Israeli forward is — and he is very, very good — you have to wonder if he can be the best player and primary decision-maker on a team that could ever compete for a title.
If anything, Avdija seems to represent the absolute ceiling of Coward and Buzelis, which means he's ahead of the curve in that he's already there and is currently at the established star stage. To go from where he is now to something better seems almost unfathomable."
He played basketball in Israel before coming to the NBA. Portland has a 28-30 record this season and they currently in ninth in the Western Conference. After the season concludes, the Trail Blazers will need to find a way to build a contender around him in the offseason.
Avdija also injured his back on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. He will not play on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The latest minor injury shouldn't ignore his potential stardom for the future with the Trail Blazers.