Just hours ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers traded a piece that many expected to be dealt this offseason, sending veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon along with the 14th pick in Wednesday's draft to the Washington Wizards for forward Deni Avdija.
The Blazers also sent the second most favorable of their three 2029 first-round picks along with two second-round picks as part of the deal as well.
Brogdon, a former Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year award winner, didn't have a place on a Blazers squad that is looking to rebuild with young pieces. With Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe needing to play development minutes and Anfernee Simons the best scorer on the team, Brogdon was the odd man out.
With Brogdon off to Washington, the Blazers land an emerging small forward in Deni Avdija. The no. 9 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 23-year-old Avdija had a breakout season last year for the Wizards. He put up 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a night in 75 games played.
The Blazers sincerely needed an upgrade on the wing and have found it – to a degree – with Avdija, who is a solid defender, rebounder, and passer that can assist with help-side playmaking. Avdija has also begun to show a legitimate 3-point stroke last season. The career 32 percent 3-point shooter shot better than 37 percent from the arc in 2023-24.
The Blazers are clearly banking on Avdija's upside at a position of need. He's an affordable long-term option that is locked up through 2028 on a declining 4-year/$55 million deal. That price, and the fact that he has already demonstrated in his age-23 season greater contribution than they're likely to get from the no. 14 pick on Wednesday, makes the trade a worthwhile swing for the Blazers.
While trading a player of Brogdon's caliber along with a pair of first rounders and a pair of second rounders seems like a steep price – and it is – if Avdija takes another step this season like he did last year, Portland has found their wing of the future.
Blazers' trade of Brogdon the first domino to fall?
The move also makes financial sense for the Blazers as they'll gain some much-needed flexibility. Portland went into the offseason over the $178.7 million first apron, making it difficult to make any moves. They are now $4.2 million below the luxury tax by moving off Malcolm Brogdon's $22.5 million and the no. 14 overall pick.
Perhaps the reason Portland was willing to give up so much in the deal was in fact this financial flexibility. This makes it much easier to trade Jerami Grant this offseason. With the cap increasing, and one less year remaining on it, Grant's contract looks a lot more palatable to teams in need of some offensive firepower that may already have their 1a and 1b players. Perhaps when the Los Angeles Lakers strike out on adding an All-Star to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Blazers can send them Grant in exchange for pieces and future picks that will backfill what was lost in the Brogdon deal? Just something to think about.
The Blazers were a poor team last season. With a potentially historic 2025 draft coming up, they have little incentive to improve this year. So why did they add Avdija? It makes sense if other moves to remove some vets from the roster are coming down the line. Once that happens, and Portland adds a (hopefully) top end 2025 pick, the makings of a young core will be in place with Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, next-year's pick that could be Cooper Flagg, and Avdija.
That's worth an extra first rounder in a year where you will be drafting three times in the first round.
Final trade grade: B
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