The Washington Wizards believe that trading Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers was not a mistake.
Wizards President Michael Winger cited Avdija’s age as a reason behind the trade, adding that he didn’t fit the age curve of their rebuilding roster.
Wizards’ Rationale Behind the Avdija Trade
Avdija was 23 at the time of the deal. Washington had just brought in older stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis leading up to the deadline.
Winger stated that although Avdija’s age fit their rebuilding timeline, he was already too good a player with a two-way impact on winning. By moving an established player in Avdija, Washington could successfully bottom out to “reset the roster”, as Winger put it.
The Wizards didn’t get great value for a rising star, as Avdija has become an All-Star on arguably the most team-friendly contract in the NBA. However, it can be seen where Washington was coming from regarding the timing of the deal.
Washington was coming off a 15-win season that resulted in No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr. They could rebuild around Sarr and their incoming rookie in next year’s draft. Avdija’s ascension was only going to get in the way of those lottery odds to an extent.
With Avdija out of the picture, Washington had a low enough floor to bottom out, positioning itself to add Tre Johnson to a promising up-and-coming roster. The Wizards can finally accelerate their rebuild now that they feel they have enough of an established young core, especially after adding a top pick to that group this summer.
Portland’s Post-Trade Challenge
The Blazers won the Avdija deal. But now they face that same dilemma that Washington proactively avoided.
How do they construct a roster around Avdija to have a high enough ceiling to be considered contenders? Portland’s floor is too high to bottom out as long as Avdija remains on the roster, especially given the level he’s played at these past two years.
While Washington was a team with extremes in terms of their floor and ceiling, Portland has taken a more gradual approach to improvement. There’s no right or wrong way to go about these rebuilds. But by taking the Avdija route of “ethically rebuilding,” the Blazers face a challenge the Wizards no longer have to overcome.
In some ways, these teams ended up at the same place. Washington added Davis and Young as veteran stars to help accelerate a young core, while Portland has Holiday, Grant, and eventually Damian Lillard around for similar purposes.
Ultimately, the ceilings of these two teams will come down to the development of their youth and whether they can catch up to the timelines of these aging stars.
Young Talent’s Development Is Key
Portland already has a head start with Avdija’s ascension, but can their recent first-round picks take a similar leap?
- There are serious question marks surrounding Scoot Henderson.
- There are serious question marks surrounding Yang Hansen.
If Portland’s young core can take that collective leap and fulfil their potential, the Avdija trade will be the cherry on top of their rebuild.