Deni Avdija floated as potential trade target for star-studded West team

The Washington Wizards just wrapped up their worst season in franchise history, and now, they are set to embark on a rumor-filled offseason in terms of trades, free agency, and the draft.

The trade market will likely be the most intriguing of the bunch, perhaps outside of them having the second pick in the draft. Plenty of teams could be interested in some of the players on their roster.

Kyle Kuzma is the most obvious trade candidate on the roster, but contending teams could be interested in some of the other guys, too. One player to keep an eye on could be Deni Avdija.

According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Avdija makes sense as a potential target for the Los Angleles Lakers, headlined by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, this summer. However, he also noted that acquiring Avdija would take a hefty investment.

Avdija just enjoyed an impressive final stint to the 2023-24 season, so his value around the league could be up. That said, his play probably means the Wizards like him, too.

"Speaking of the Wizards, Avdija is a player a lot of scouts and executives like because of his smarts and toughness. But, if other people like him, that certainly means the Wizards like him too. That means he’ll be pricey."

- Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times

After the All-Star break, Avdija averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field and 31.7% from behind the three-point line.

At just 23 years old, Avdija still has plenty of room to improve moving forward, so keeping him around would be a benefit for the Wizards as they look to develop their young talent.

However, his value is probably at an all-time high right now. It could still get better, but if it doesn’t perhaps the Wizards could end up regretting not fielding trade offers for him now.

It seems highly unlikely that Washington decides to trade Avdija this summer, as he should be seen as a part of their young core, but if the Lakers were to tempt them with an enticing offer, maybe they should at least pick up the phone.

Would an offer of Rui Hachimura (what a return that would be), the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and another first-rounder be enough to get the Wizards interested? Probably not. And unfortunately for the Lakers, that’s probably the best offer they could put on the table.