If you ask Portland Trail Blazers fans, Deni Avdija's breakout already happened down the stretch of last season. He's carried that momentum over into the 2025-26 season, emerging as Portland's clear-cut best player.
Now that Avdija is sustaining this level of play over an entire season and receiving more national recognition, he's already making a strong case to receive All-Star and Most Improved Player of the Year votes. This season, he's averaging 26.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on efficient 49/38/85 shooting splits.
This is precisely the version of Avdija Portland had in mind when they made the surprisingly aggresive trade with the Washington Wizards.