Deni Avdija

 

Deni Avdija (Hebrew: דני אבדיה; born January 3, 2001), nicknamed “Turbo,” is an Israeli professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) and weighing 228 pounds (103 kg), Avdija plays small forward and power forward. He played professionally for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel before being selected by the Washington Wizards with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the highest Israeli player ever drafted. Avdija was named to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2026, becoming the first Israeli All-Star in NBA history.

 

Early Life 

Family Background

 

Avdija was born in Beit Zera, a kibbutz in northern Israel. His father, Zufer Avdija, is of Gorani origin and was born in Prishtina, Yugoslavia. Zufer was a professional basketball player who spent 11 years with Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) in the 1980s, serving as team captain, and later played eight seasons in the Israeli Premier League. He also represented Yugoslavia internationally, winning a bronze medal at the 1982 FIBA World Championship.

 

Avdija’s mother, Sharon Artzi, is an Israeli Jew from kibbutz Beit Zera and a former track and field athlete and basketball player. Avdija is Jewish and has sat out games to observe Yom Kippur. He learned English by playing video games and watching Nickelodeon sitcoms.

 

Professional Career in Israel

 

Avdija began playing basketball in fourth grade for his hometown club Bnei Herzliya Basket before joining Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth system in 2013 at age 12. He made his senior team debut in 2017 at age 16, becoming the youngest player in club history. In the 2019-20 season, Avdija became the youngest player ever to win the Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP award at age 18, averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while leading Maccabi Tel Aviv to the championship.

 

NBA Career

 

Washington Wizards (2020–2024)

 

Avdija was selected ninth overall by Washington on November 18, 2020, making him the highest Israeli draft pick in NBA history. He spent four seasons with the Wizards, showing gradual improvement. In 2023-24, he posted career highs across every major statistical category, averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 51% from the field and 37% from three-point range. On February 14, 2024, he set a career-high 43 points with 15 rebounds against New Orleans, the highest-scoring game by an Israeli NBA player. On October 22, 2023, Avdija signed a four-year, $55 million contract extension with Washington.

 

Portland Trail Blazers (2024–present)

 

On July 6, 2024, Avdija was traded to Portland along with a 2029 first-round pick in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, Bub Carrington, and two future second-round picks. The trade proved transformative for Avdija’s career.

 

In his first season with Portland (2024-25), Avdija averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. In 2025-26, Avdija emerged as a legitimate star, averaging 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists through February 10, 2026, ranking 14th in NBA scoring. On December 6, 2025, he surpassed Omri Casspi to become Israel’s all-time leading NBA scorer with 4,648 career points. On January 5, 2026, Avdija was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time, and on January 7, he scored a season-high 41 points against Houston.

 

He has recorded multiple triple-doubles in the 2025-26 season, including performances against Chicago, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio. His aggressive drives to the basket have resulted in 9.9 free throw attempts per game, fourth in the NBA. On February 1, 2026, Avdija was named to his first NBA All-Star Game as a Western Conference reserve, becoming the first Israeli All-Star in NBA history.

 

International Career

 

Avdija has represented Israel extensively in international competition. At the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship in Podgorica, he led the tournament with 12.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while averaging 15.3 points. In April 2018, he averaged over 17 points and nine rebounds for Israel at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament.

 

References

 

External Links

* Deni Avdija on NBA.com

* Deni Avdija on Basketball-Reference.com