The Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards agreed to a rare kind of NBA trade Wednesday: A deal that ought to help both teams in the future, albeit on slightly different timelines.
Washington agreed to send 23-year-old combo forward Deni Avdija to Portland for the 14th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, a 2030 second-round pick, and 31-year-old guard Malcolm Brogdon, league sources said.
The deal is expected to become official in July.
In the deal that will send Deni Avdija to Portland, the second-round picks the Wizards will receive will be in 2028 and 2030. Washington also will get tonight's 14th pick and, as reported elsewhere, the second-most favorable of Portland's 2029 first-round picks, per source.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) June 26, 2024
The Blazers addressed two of their biggest weaknesses — defense and wing depth — but they paid a steep price. They gave up a total of four future draft picks, including the final lottery pick in Wednesday’s draft, which was acquired from Golden State, via Boston, in last summer’s trade of Damian Lillard.
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Entering Wednesday, Portland owned three first-round picks in 2029: its own, Boston’s and Milwaukee’s. The pick that will go to Washington will be the second-most favorable of those picks.
However, the move allowed the Blazers to get under the luxury tax as Avdija is set to make $15.6 million next season while Brogdon will make $22.5 million.
Money considerations aside, the trade does address some of Portland’s issues. The Blazers for the past five seasons have been one of the worst defenses in the NBA, and the 6-foot-9 Avdija can not only play both forward positions, but he often last season guarded opponents’ top wing scorers and sometimes opposing point guards.
The No. 9 pick in the 2020 draft, Avdija last fall signed a four-year, $55 million contract extension that will begin with the 2024-25 season and run through the 2027-28 season.
Avdija also made significant gains in his 3-point shooting, his efficiency at the rim and with drawing fouls.
Avdija will join a young corps of wings that includes Toumani Camara (24), Shaedon Sharpe (21), Jabari Walker (21) and Dalano Banton (24).
Why did Washington part with one of its most prized young players?
The Wizards remain in the early stages of their rebuild, and they entered the night wanting to add at least one other first-round pick tonight. Washington entered Wednesday with the second, 26th and 51st picks in this year’s draft, and Washington may look to package the 14th and 26th picks for a pick earlier in the lottery. Other veteran players might be on the move, too.
Moving Avdija also ought to open additional playing time for rising second-year wing Bilal Coulibaly.
By moving Avdija, the Wizards likely made themselves less competitive in the upcoming season. That’s a necessity for the Wizards because losing more games will increase their lottery odds for the 2025 draft, which is expected to be loaded with high-tier prospects.
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The race to the bottom of the standings intensified with this deal.
Brogdon was arguably the Blazers’ best player last season, and he graciously took a reduced role and helped guide Scoot Henderson through his rookie season. If Washington does not reroute Brogdon elsewhere, he could serve as a valuable mentor to Washington’s group of youngsters.
Although Brogdon played in only 39 games last season, it is not a sign that he is breaking down. Brogdon didn’t play after Feb. 2, but it wasn’t because of injury. The Blazers in February made a concerted effort to enhance their lottery odds and sidelined players such as Brogdon, Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons in the final months.
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Required reading
- Malcolm Brogdon not pushing for trade from Trail Blazers: ‘I’m happy in Portland’
- With a 43-point outing, Deni Avdija has finally turned a corner: ‘It’s only the start’
(Photo: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)