Deni Avdija Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Heat, LaMelo, Magic, Avdija

December 23rd, 2020 at 8:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

John Hollinger of the Athletic reviewed the 2020 offseason for the Heat and previewed the 2020/21 season for the club, which opened tonight against the Magic in Orlando. Hollinger notes that the team’s 2020 offseason seemed to prioritize future assets over building for the immediate present, despite the fact that Miami made the Finals this season.

The Heat will be able to carve out about $30MM in available cap room for the 2021 offseason, Hollinger projects. Hollinger also expects the team to use its roster, loaded with expiring contracts and intriguing players on cheap contracts, to improve ahead of the playoffs.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hornets have long been waiting to add a new young player capable of generating the kind of buzz a high-upside prospect at the level of rookie point guard LaMelo Ball, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft, according to Andrew Carter of The Charlotte Observer. Hornets head coach James Borrego was skeptical that Ball, the youngest son in a famous family, could enthusiastically buy in to the team concept he was hoping to build before a workout convinced him otherwise. “Just a genuine spirit, an authentic spirit,” Borrego said. “He would ask as many questions as we would ask.”
The Magic are hoping to take the next step in their evolution as a playoff club with the chemistry developed through years of continuity, despite the absence of recently-extended forward Jonathan Isaac, according to Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel.
The Wizards were apparently so set on drafting rookie forward Deni Avdija that they at one point almost made a deal with the Bulls to move up to the No. 4 pick, but determined the cost was too high, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Wizards did not anticipate that Avdija would last long enough to be available at No. 9.

Wizards Notes: Westbrook, Avdija, Neto, International Players

December 20th, 2020 at 12:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards enjoyed their first look at Russell Westbrook, who made his preseason debut Saturday night, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. He contributed eight points, seven rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes and helped Washington outscore the Pistons by 11 points while he was in the game.

Wizards coach Scott Brooks was encouraged after watching Westbrook and Bradley Beal on the court together for the first time in a game situation.

“I like the fact that they were looking for other players, not just playing back and forth,” Brooks said. “Russell’s going to find whoever’s open; he’s going to make the right play. And Brad’s the same way.”

There’s more from Washington, D.C.:

First-round pick Deni Avdija is making a strong bid to be the team’s starting small forward on opening night, Wallace adds in the same piece. The 19-year-old got his second preseason start Saturday and played 32 minutes. “He’s definitely working his way to being a starter one day,” Brooks said. “Don’t know when that will be; it might be Wednesday night. He’s playing hard, he’s tough, he has great size, and he’s going to make us a better team. … He’s making a good case (to start) — there’s no question.”
Point guard Raul Neto has been a surprising standout during the preseason, notes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 28-year-old was brought in to improve the defense, but he scored 34 points in three preseason games. With Ish Smith as the primary backup to Westbrook, the Wizards may consider using Neto at shooting guard, Hughes adds. He played there for a while Saturday, taking minutes that normally would go to Jerome Robinson and Garrison Mathews.
With seven international players on their roster, the Wizards are tied with the Mavericks for the most in the league, Hughes writes in a separate story. In addition to Avdija, who is from Israel, and Neto, who hails from Brazil, Washington has Rui Hachimura of Japan, Davis Bertans and Anzejs Pasecniks of Latvia and Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga of Germany. “Those seven guys have the attributes we look for, not the passports we look for. It doesn’t really matter to me where you’re from,” general manager Tommy Sheppard said. “If there’s talent all over the world, it’s your job to go find it. It’s never intentional.”

Wizards Notes: Beal, Bertans, Lopez, Westbrook, More

December 8th, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ensuring that Bradley Beal wants to remain in Washington was a top priority for the Wizards as they made their offseason moves, including the blockbuster trade that brought Russell Westbrook to D.C. So did the acquisition of Westbrook have an impact on Beal’s desire to stick with the team?

“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about that. I haven’t,” Beal said, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “My biggest thing is win now, you know? I wanna win.

“I’m here under contract for this year, next year and a player option, too. So, it’s just a matter of, we gotta win. And the organization knows that. It’s up to me, too, so I can’t just sit here and … look at (general manager Tommy Sheppard) like he’s crazy. I have to go out and lead the team, put in the work and get better every day and bring the results.”

As Katz writes, the Wizards have a tricky tightrope to walk, as they focus not only on building a roster capable of long-term success, but also on winning enough in the next year or two to convince Beal that he doesn’t need to move to a new team to contend.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Davis Bertans and Robin Lopez haven’t yet been able to join the Wizards for practice, tweets Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Bertans was held up by visa issues, according to Wallace, who notes that the team also had one of its new players test positive for the coronavirus. There hasn’t been confirmation that the affected player was Lopez, but it sounds like that’s very possible.
The Wizards are counting on point guard Russell Westbrook, who is known for his competitiveness and tenacity, to help set the culture for their young roster, Wallace writes for The Washington Post.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said today that the starting small forward position will be “fluid,” with Troy Brown, Isaac Bonga, Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans, and Jerome Robinson all among the options there, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Brooks also said today that the Wizards are close to a decision on whether or not to participate in the NBA G League’s proposed Atlanta bubble. He believes there’s a good chance the Wizards will opt in, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Wizards’ Deni Avdija Signs Rookie Contract

December 1st, 2020 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie forward Deni Avdija has signed his rookie contract with the Wizards, the team announced today (via Twitter).

The No. 9 pick in the draft, Avdija is in line for a four-year, $20.34MM deal, assuming he signs for 120% of the rookie scale amount, as virtually every first-round pick does. The contract, which will pay him $4.47MM in his rookie season, will be guaranteed for the first two years, with third- and fourth-year team options.

Avdija, who has spent the last three years with Maccabi Tel Aviv, won the Israeli League Most Valuable Player award in 2020. He averaged 12.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG in Israeli League games, becoming the youngest MVP in league history at age 19.

Widely considered a probable top-five pick entering the November 18 draft, Avdija slipped to the Wizards at No. 9 and will now join a team led by John Wall and Bradley Beal that’s looking to make it back to the postseason in 2021. Washington now has a full 20-man training camp roster.

Draft-Night Rumors: Warriors, Pistons, Avdija, Baynes

November 18th, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Drafting James Wiseman won’t prevent the Warriors from looking to add another big man, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, who reports (via Twitter) that Golden State is eyeing at least four different bigs. The team has its $17MM+ trade exception and the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception available to acquire veterans later this week.

Here are a few more NBA draft-night notes and rumors:

It sounds like Detroit’s long-reported interest in Patrick Williams was legit. The Pistons made an effort to trade up to No. 3 in order to leapfrog the Bulls for Williams, but the Hornets didn’t budge, sources tell Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Deni Avdija has a small buyout to get out of his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Avdija and the Wizards – who selected him at No. 9 – will pay that buyout. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer adds (via Twitter) that he’s surprised by Avdija slipping to ninth — the Bulls and Cavaliers both considered the Israeli forward at No. 4 and No. 5, per O’Connor.
NBA executives fully expect Aron Baynes to leave the Suns in free agency, opening the door for No. 10 pick Jalen Smith to fill Baynes’ role as a stretch big, tweets Kevin O’Connor. According to O’Connor, the Pelicans are a potential landing spot for Baynes.

Central Notes: Fiserv Forum, Pacers, Avdija, Hayward

November 18th, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks team president Peter Feigin has indicated that the club will not allow any fans into its home arena Fiserv Forum for the start of the 2020/21 NBA season due to strict indoor gathering restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Jabari Young of CNBC. Once fans are allowed inside Fiserv, the arena will exclusively employ mobile ticketing and concessions ordering, per Feigin.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files details how the Pacers have approached the 2020 draft while dealing with coronavirus pandemic-dictated hurdles. The club has used Zoom for weekly “town halls” as well as interviewing over 100 draft prospects. Though the league permitted teams to travel to see up to 10 individual player workouts, the Pacers opted to stay all-virtual this season, Agness notes.
The Cavaliers have deep organizational ties with international lottery prospect Deni Avdija. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wonders whether this could ultimately lead to Cleveland using the No. 5 pick in today’s draft to select the 6’9″ wing.
Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets that there is “mutual interest” between Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, beloved for his college tenure at Butler, and the Pacers. The clearest path to adding the former All-Star would be a sign-and-trade, which would require Hayward opting out of his $34.2MM player option for the 2020/21 season.

Cavs Discussing No. 5 Pick With Knicks, Others

November 18th, 2020 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are receiving interest in the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that the Pistons (No. 7), Knicks (No. 8), and Celtics (No. 14) are among the teams that have engaged in discussions with Cleveland.

The Knicks just moved up from No. 27 to No. 23 in a trade with Utah and may try to package that pick with No. 8 in an attempt to improve their lottery pick, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Knicks and Cavs have been the two teams in the top eight most frequently connected to Dayton forward Obi Toppin, so it’s possible he could be the target on New York’s radar in a move up, though that’s not confirmed.

The Pistons, meanwhile, have been linked often to Florida State’s Patrick Williams. If he’s still on the board at No. 5, Detroit may have interest in moving up to land him — or to leapfrog Atlanta at No. 6 for Tyrese Haliburton, Fedor suggests.

According to Fedor, the Cavs have their eye on a number of players in the second tier of the draft, including Toppin, Haliburton, Deni Avdija, and Isaac Okoro, among others. Moving down to No. 7 or No. 8 could allow them to “declutter their options” while picking up an extra asset or two.

It’s unclear how interested the Cavaliers would be in moving all the way down to No. 14, which is Boston’s top first-rounder. Cleveland sees a drop in talent after the top 10 or 11 prospects in this year’s draft class, says Fedor. There has been some speculation about a possible Gordon Hayward trade involving the Cavs and Celtics, but it’s not clear if that’s something the two sides have even discussed.

Bulls Have Reportedly Offered No. 4 Pick, Carter For Warriors’ No. 2

November 18th, 2020 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are weighing whether or not to accept a trade offer from the Bulls, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who hears from league sources that Chicago has put the No. 4 pick and Wendell Carter Jr. on the table for Golden State’s No. 2 pick.

Although O’Connor has reported multiple times that Chicago is believed to be targeting a play-maker in this draft, he says that sources believe the Bulls would draft Memphis center James Wiseman if they move up. Wiseman has been considered the most likely target for Golden State at No. 2.

If the Bulls don’t trade up, the belief is that they’ll likely decide between Avdija and Florida State forward Patrick Williams, according to O’Connor.

It remains to be seen if the Bulls and Warriors will move forward on this reported proposal, but it does align with some other things we’ve heard in recent weeks. For instance, Jonathan Givony of ESPN said earlier in November that Chicago is thought to be higher on Lauri Markkanen than Carter. At the time, Givony suggested Carter may have to be involved in a deal for the Bulls to move up in the draft.

Meanwhile, a league source told Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle this week that the Warriors would like to trade the No. 2 pick for a “proven, rotation-level frontcourt player” and a pick later in the lottery. The goal would be to add a frontcourt player who could be relied upon in the postseason, while developing a young guard or wing, says Letourneau.

If the Warriors do trade out of the top three, they’d likely target Israeli forward Deni Avdija, according to Letourneau, who says the club has become “infatuated” with Avdija, viewing him as a player who could develop into a “Danilo Gallinari type.” Florida State wing Devin Vassell is another player who has frequently been linked to Golden State in trade-down scenarios. Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton could also be an option.

If the Warriors were to acquire Carter from the Bulls, they could either absorb his $5.4MM cap hit into their $17MM+ trade exception or send out a player or two for salary-matching purposes.

Cavs Zeroing In On Deni Avdija, Obi Toppin?

November 13th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports this week have indicated that the Cavaliers appear to be zeroing in on Israeli wing Deni Avdija and Dayton forward Obi Toppin with the fifth overall pick in next Wednesday’s draft.

John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote within his mock draft on Tuesday that Avdija and Toppin are the only two names he has heard connected to Cleveland at No. 5. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic followed that up by writing this morning that the Cavs’ choice “seems to be down to” those two players.

Sources tell Lloyd that Cavs general manager Koby Altman is high on Toppin, while several other members of his staff are leaning toward Avdija.

There’s a widespread belief that LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman will be the first three players to come off the board in the 2020 NBA draft, in some order. If that’s the case, the Cavs can be confident that at least one of Toppin or Avdija would be available at No. 5. It’s not clear which direction they’d go if both players are still on the board, though it’s worth noting that Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on Thursday that executives believe Avdija won’t slip past No. 5.

The Cavs have used their last two lottery picks on guards – Collin Sexton and Darius Garland – and have a number of veteran bigs up front, including Kevin Love, Andre Drummond, and Larry Nance Jr. As such, Avdija’s fit on the wing is obvious.

Toppin’s fit is less clear, since he’s a power forward and the Cavs already have a few options there. However, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com has said for weeks that some members of the organization think the roster could use another long-term frontcourt piece, with Tristan Thompson facing free agency and Drummond on an expiring deal. There are also some concerns about Toppin’s defense, but his shortcomings on that end aren’t considered a deal-breaker for Cleveland, per Fedor.

O’Connor’s Latest: Bucks, Mavs, LaVine, Gordon, More

November 12th, 2020 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are active in trade discussions and have offered point guard Eric Bledsoe to multiple teams, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. As the Bucks look to upgrade their roster around reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and standout forward Khris Middleton, it sounds like they’re focusing on two-way forwards with defensive versatility — according to O’Connor, the club is pursuing Rockets veterans Robert Covington and P.J. Tucker.

O’Connor’s latest mock draft at The Ringer includes plenty of interesting tidbits, including a couple we’ve already passed along. Here are a few more highlights:

Multiple teams, including the Mavericks, have contacted the Bulls this offseason to inquire on Zach LaVine‘s availability, says O’Connor. It’s not clear if Chicago would have any interest in moving its leading scorer.
League sources tell The Ringer that the Magic have made efforts to move up into the lottery by attaching Aaron Gordon to their No. 15 selection.
O’Connor writes that the Suns are “hoping” to use their No. 10 pick in a trade for Chris Paul. That would seemingly contradict an earlier report that suggested Phoenix probably wouldn’t that pick in an offer for the Thunder point guard.
Executives around the NBA are fairly confident that Deni Avdija won’t fall past Cleveland at No. 5, according to O’Connor, who is the latest to report that the Cavaliers are high on the Israeli wing.
There has been increasing buzz surrounding Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski, with execs around the league increasingly believing that he’ll be a lottery pick, per O’Connor.
Oregon guard Payton Pritchard is receiving interest from multiple teams near the end of the first round, sources tell O’Connor. One of those sources thinks Pritchard may even have a promise.