Deni Avdija Projected To Leave Trail Blazers And Become Premium NBA Free Agent

In today's NBA, teams have to be more careful than ever about who they spend their money on . With strict CBA rules and restrictions for teams that spend too much, many veteran players are caught in the middle as their own teams review their worth.

In Portland, this is the situation regarding Deni Avdija , who is coming off his first All-Star season with averages of 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 46.2% shooting from the field. As much as he has thrived with the Trail Blazers , they are not in a position to extend his contract after the conclusion of his current deal, which only has two years and $24 million left.

"The Blazers are kind of a sinking ship. They are not setting themselves up to preserve the cap space they're gonna need to renegotiate and extend Deni Avdija ," said insider Sam Quinn on the 'Third Apron' podcast . "Deni will make $11.875 million in 2027-28. The most he can get in a veteran extension is a 140% Year 1 raise, or $16.625 million. That's MLE money. He's not taking that. To pay him fairly, they'd need cap space to renegotiate and extend him."

The Trail Blazers have made strides of late, thanks to the heroic performances of Avdija, Scoot Henderson , Donovan Clingan , and young sharpshooter Shaedon Sharpe . On paper, they have a solid young core that will only get better on the floor, but critics remain doubtful of their current trajectory.

Besides the injury to Sharpe ( that will keep him out for months ), the Trail Blazers must also deal with the reality of their frugal owner, Tom Dundon, who has already made headlines for his cost-cutting methods . That's not to mention the logjam in the backcourt between guards Ja Morant , Damian Lillard , Jrue Holiday , and Scoot Henderson . By all accounts, the Trail Blazers are a team with glaring red flags, and Avdija clearly does not fit their timeline as a win-now veteran in his prime.

Rather than pay Deni to stick around and handicap their flexibility, the Trail Blazers are expected to let him go as they make space for their younger generation. Whether he leaves via trade or free agency in 2028, he will likely have to look elsewhere to secure the max-level deal he'll no doubt be seeking. The question is, where would the best fit be?

It's hard to predict what the situation will look like, but Avdija is the kind of player who can raise any team's ceiling. That's why we can expect multiple teams to express interest in a contract, including potentially the Clippers , Suns , and Rockets , who all have the incentive to strike a deal. There's also the Denver Nuggets , where Avdija could make a fitting replacement for Peyton Watson (at the right price).

For now, with two years left on his contract, the Trail Blazers are going to stick with who they have and see where they stand. Eventually, however, they will need to make a choice, and it could very well shake up the NBA hierarchy in a major way.