Deni Avdija trade gives Wizards chance to form elite future in NBA Draft

The Washington Wizards just traded Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Washington will also receive a first in 2029 (with some stipulations) and two second-round picks in the deal.

Avdija, who is 22 years old, just wrapped up an impressive season in Washington. He finished the year strong and is a quality 3-and-D player at the forward position.

For the Trail Blazers, they now have a guy who can grow with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons moving forward. He’ll have a chance to expand his game there, too.

Deni Avdija trade will help Wizards form elite future in 2024 NBA Draft

But for the Wizards, this deal will allow them to completely reshape and improve their future in the 2024 NBA Draft

.For all the talk that this year’s draft class isn’t as strong as past seasons, there are still a ton of players who could ned up making an impact at the NBA level—even late in the lottery.

By landing Brogdon, the Wizards have a pathway to add more picks in the future, but grabbing the 14th pick will help them form an elite future.

With Bilal Coulibaly already in place and the No. 2 pick in hand, the Wizards will now have three super young players they can build with moving forward. That’s an amazing place to restart from.

This year's draft may not have a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama or Zion Williamson, but it's still rich with NBA-quality guys. And with the No. 2 pick and the No. 14 pick, the Wizards have a chance to form a Big 3 next to Coulibaly.

Obviously, in order for them to do that, they would have to nail all three picks, but that's always the goal, isn't it? And there should be some interesting players still available right after the lottery.

Some guys that come to mind include Purdue big man Zach Edey, Pittsburgh guard Bub Carrington, Baylor wing Ja'Kobe Walter, Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, and G League Ignite forward Ron Holland.

All of those guys are projected to land somewhere between late in the top-10 and right after the lottery. Each and every one of them has the talent to turn into a star in the NBA. It's just up to the right team to take a chance on them.

Now, loaded up with two lottery picks, the Wizards could end up forming a trio that brings them back to the playoffs a few years down the line. Avdija is a great player, and he's still young, but now, the Wizards have a chance to get even younger.