What Jump Can Deni Avdija Make This Season?

Last season, Deni Avdija went from a solid starter to someone the Portland Trail Blazers can build around. He proved that he deserved to be at the top of an "underappreciated stars" list heading into the 2026-27 season.

His scoring rose from 16.9 to 24.2 points per game, he made the All-Star team and he finished in the top three in Most Improved Player voting.

Avdija added 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Repeating that is a tall task, especially with the addition of Ja Morant in the offseason and the Blazers getting Damian Lillard back from injury.

Avdija's role shifted significantly last season, with his usage rate rising to 28.5 after averaging around 16 over his five years at Washington. The Blazers now have more mouths to feed. Not only is Avdija now sharing the floor with Lillard and Morant. Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe are still on the roster.

A slight decrease in points per game won't necessarily mean that Avdija is regressing. It just could mean he's sharing the ball with his teammates more.

The room for growth is his shooting. Avdija shot 37.4% from behind the arc in 2023-24, then 36.5% in 2024-25, then fell to 31.8% last season.

His ability to shoot consistently from long range matters more than it ever has. Avdija has already proven to be one of the most frequent downhill scorers in the Western Conference, averaging 9.2 free-throw attempts per game last season, which is second in the league.

With Morant and Lillard pulling defenders into the paint, Avdija will often be the one on the perimeter for a kick-out 3-pointer. If he gets his shot back to what it was a few seasons ago, defenders will honor the shot more, which opens the lane for everyone.

Playing off the ball will be more common for Avdija this season, but defense will take him to elite two-way wing conversations. At 6-foot-8, he can guard multiple positions on a roster that is heavy in the backcourt.

If he can guard other teams' top two scorers, along with staying healthy, Avdija could make an All-NBA team. The likeliest version of another leap is a more efficient Avdija playing at a high level on a more complete team. If he shoots better from three and the Blazers win more, that's his leap, no matter what his scoring totals are at the end of the year.

Portland's season hinges on whether the backcourt meshes well together. Avdija doesn't carry the spotlight that Lillard and Morant do, and that smaller profile could work in his favor as he tries to quietly lead this team to back-to-back playoff appearances.