Deni Avdija is an Israeli professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers. He primarily plays as a small forward.
Deni Avdija's father, Zufer Avdija, a former professional basketball player representing Yugoslavia, won the bronze medal at the 1982 FIBA World Championship.
Deni Avdija was born in January 2001.
Deni Avdija began to focus more seriously on basketball in 2013.
In 2013, Deni Avdija joined the youth ranks of Maccabi Tel Aviv, marking a significant step in his basketball journey.
Deni Avdija signed a six-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv in November 2017, marking the start of his professional basketball career.
At the young age of 16, Deni Avdija made his debut for Maccabi Tel Aviv's senior team in 2017, becoming the youngest player in the club's history.
Deni Avdija showcased his skills on the international stage in 2017, representing Israel at the FIBA U16 European Championship.
From 2017 to 2019, Deni Avdija led Maccabi Tel Aviv to three consecutive Israeli youth state championships, showcasing his talent and leadership.
Deni Avdija's performance at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in April 2018, an under-18 competition, highlighted his potential with impressive averages in points and rebounds.
Deni Avdija played a pivotal role in leading Israel to a gold medal at the FIBA U20 European Championship in July 2018, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
Deni Avdija's performance at the Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in August 2018 earned him the camp MVP title.
At 17 years old, Deni Avdija made his EuroLeague debut in November 2018, adding another milestone to his burgeoning career.
Deni Avdija's strong performance at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) in Munich in January 2019 earned him a spot on the all-tournament team.
Deni Avdija made his debut for the Israeli senior national team in February 2019, contributing to an 81-77 victory against Germany during the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification stage.
Deni Avdija was recognized for his skills and potential when he was named MVP of the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in February 2019.
Deni Avdija had a standout performance at the FIBA U20 European Championship in July 2019, leading Israel to a second consecutive gold medal and earning both MVP and all-tournament team honors.
Deni Avdija made his first start in the EuroLeague in October 2019 at just 18 years old.
From 2017 to 2019, Deni Avdija led Maccabi Tel Aviv to three consecutive Israeli youth state championships, showcasing his talent and leadership.
Deni Avdija played a key role in Israel's victory at the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship, earning the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.
Deni Avdija showcased his scoring ability in January 2020, recording a then career-high 22 points and earning the Israeli Player of the Month award.
In February 2020, during the EuroBasket 2021 qualifiers, Deni Avdija showcased his skills with an impressive performance against Romania, scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds in just 24 minutes of play, leading Israel to an 87-63 win.
While the basketball season was put on hold in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Deni Avdija was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for a short period of service.
In July 2020, Deni Avdija's dunk over Luigi Datome during a game earlier in the year was recognized as the EuroLeague Magic Moment of the Season.
Deni Avdija officially joined the Washington Wizards in December 2020 after signing his rookie contract.
Deni Avdija declared for the NBA draft in 2020 and was selected by the Washington Wizards, marking his entry into the NBA.
Deni Avdija achieved a new career-high in points in January 2021, scoring 20 points against the Miami Heat.
Deni Avdija participated in the EuroBasket 2021 qualifiers.
During the 2021-2022 NBA season, Deni Avdija demonstrated his durability by playing in all 82 regular-season games.
Deni Avdija set a new career high in rebounds in February 2022, grabbing 15 boards against the Detroit Pistons.
In 2022, following a series of terrorist attacks in Israel, Deni Avdija expressed his solidarity by writing "Am Yisrael Chai," a Hebrew phrase meaning "The people of Israel live," on his basketball shoes.
Deni Avdija continued to elevate his game in January 2023, setting new career highs in both rebounds (20) and points (25) in separate games.
Deni Avdija delivered a remarkable scoring performance in February 2024, erupting for a new career-high 43 points against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In a significant move before the 2024 NBA Draft, Deni Avdija was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The trade that sent Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers involved multiple draft picks, including a future first-round pick in 2029.