By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Deni Avdija has reached an agreement with the Washington Wizards, committing until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.
Avdija, 22, will ink a four-year fully guaranteed contract extension worth 55 million dollars, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Coming out of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv as the Ligat Winner MVP of the 2019-20 season, Avdija was selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Making his way to 212 games played over the next three seasons, he averaged 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. With Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal out of the picture, he is expected to get even more opportunities to shine moving deeper into his stint with the team based in the capital of the United States.
After recovering from back tightness, the Israeli international tallied 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.5 blocks per contest over two appearances in the 2023 NBA Preseason. Jumping into the Regular Season, his new teammates include French upstart Bilal Coulibaly and experienced Italian forward Danilo Gallinari. His role is likely to switch between the first and second unit, depending on the overall approach to each game.
The team coached by Wes Unseld Jr. will visit the Indiana Pacers to start the new campaign on Wednesday. The home opener sets up the Memphis Grizzlies in Capitol One Arena on October 28, part of the first installment of NBA Saturdays for the 2023-24 Regular Season.
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