4 Young players the Wizards should develop, 4 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
Develop: Deni Avdija
The Wizards selected Avdija ninth overall in 2020 over Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, and Tyrese Maxey. They believed he could become a star, but things have not gone as planned in his first three years. Avdija has improved each season, but his offensive game is a mess. He cannot consistently hit jumpers and his role on that end of the floor is a total question mark.
What is his ceiling at this point? The 6’9 forward has been a plus defensively with the size and versatility to match up against multiple players. It is his offensive contributions that are limiting his playing time and potential. Can he become a secondary playmaker with enough offensive juice to average 12 points per game efficiently? Even that feels like a stretch at this point.
The Washington Wizards are in full rebuild mode, and they should be looking for any pieces of a contending rotation. Corey Kispert can be their bench sharpshooter, and Avdija is a defensive-minded forward that can make an impact whenever Washington needs a clutch stop.
Wizards fans need to stop viewing Deni Avdija as a lottery pick and start viewing him as a key role player that continues to improve. If he can become their fifth starter, Washington should consider that a win and the franchise should be focused on helping him get there.