After years of misuse and fighting to overcome a questionable fit, Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has become one of the fastest-rising stars in the NBA. He turned in a thrilling 2024-25 campaign, taking a clear step forward in virtually every phase of the game.
For as well as Avdija has taken to playing in Portland, however, a recent interview revealed just how much of an impact instability can have on a player.
Avdija played four seasons for the Washington Wizards, which drafted him at No. 9 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. He spent his first three years in Washington shuffling in and out of the starting lineup, however, and was traded after his first full season as a starter.