The Washington Wizards have gone on record to claim the trade for Deni Avdija wasn't a mistake, but after the forward's 41-point performance to punch a ticket to the NBA Playoffs for the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, that trade decision simply can't be validated any longer.
When Washington opted to send out Avdija to Portland in exchange for veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon and a draft package that eventually landed them Bub Carrington, it was deemed a trade that seemed like a questionable decision that would take time to grade.
Fast forward to the retirement of Brogdon after an injury-riddled season during his lone year in D.C., all signs pointed to the Wizards coming out on the losing end, and that's not even considering the rather underwhelming start to the career of Carrington.
Now, though, the rise of Avdija has only continued to make this trade look like a nightmare, and after Avdija's play-in showing on Tuesday, it may have been the final nail in the coffin.
And regardless of what President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger says, it's extremely hard for a fanbase to watch their former lottery pick shine while they're stuck in the mud.
Deni Avdija has officially become the best player on a playoff team
The development for Avdija took some time, but all signs point to Washington being the reason.
Since arriving in Portland, the versatile forward has become one of the most intriguing young talents in the league, and after stamping himself as an NBA All-Star this season, it seemed like it couldn't get worse for the Wizards.
Averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists on the season, on 46.2% shooting from field goal range and 31.8% efficiency from downtown, it became clear that the former Wizards lottery pick was the one that got away.
To make matters worse, following Avdija's monster performance to punch the Trail Blazers ticket to the NBA Playoffs, though, the playmaker has officially become the best player on a playoff team, while Washington finds themselves in the position hoping for the luck of the NBA Draft Lottery to finally fall in their favor.
Wizards need Kyshawn George or Will Riley to be their guy
The only thing that makes the Avdija trade not feel as bad is the fact that Washington has found two versatile frontcourt weapons in Kyshawn George and rookie standout Will Riley.
Both players have shown flashes of their ability to be a key wing for the team's plans, and if Avdija were still in the picture, it's safe to assume neither forward would have gotten the chance to take on as large a role as they have.
Still, to ease the pain of the player Avdija has developed into, Washington will need one of these two talented prospects to prove they can be the guy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google