Deni Avdija goes for team-high 23 points vs. GSW

POR Forward #8 Player Stats Deni Avdija amassed 23 points (9-of-13 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, two assists and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in the fold, questions arose this offseason about how that would affect Avdija’s usage. Coming off the best season of his NBA career, the Trail Blazers forward looked good in the team’s preseason opener. A 31.8 percent shooter from three last season, Avdija made three of his six attempts from beyond the arc and shot 6-of-7 from two. His usage of 30.2 was the highest among the Blazers starters, and he led the team in shot attempts. His assist output may take a hit this season because of the number of quality guards on Portland’s roster, but Avdija won’t lack scoring opportunities. Who gained the most fantasy value this offseason? 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With those two available, Avdija’s fantasy ceiling likely drops. POR Forward #8 Israel had already been eliminated from contention for a FIBA World Cup spot, but there was still hope that Avdija would play in the nation’s most recent qualifiers. However, according to him, the Trail Blazers did not clear him to play because of the back injury he initially suffered in mid-January. Avdija said via social media that, while he wanted to play, the Trail Blazers weren’t willing to take that risk. With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant entering the rotation, Avdija’s usage is likely to take a hit in 2026-27. Hopefully, Portland’s decision to keep him out of FIBA qualifier competition was more precautionary than anything else. POR Forward #8 Avdija enjoyed a breakout season, which led to his first All-Star appearance. He also guided the Blazers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, though that season has now come to a close. He was red-hot entering the playoffs, but the top-tier Spurs defense made things difficult for him, which limited his production. Avdija was selected in the fifth round in Yahoo! leagues, but it will likely take an earlier selection to nab him in fantasy drafts next season. POR Forward #8 Avdija had a good afternoon scoring-wise, but turnovers were once again an issue for him and the Trail Blazers. He was responsible for five turnovers, and the Trail Blazers recorded 18 as a team. Portland was one of the worst teams in the NBA during the regular season in terms of turnover percentage, and the margin for error gets slimmer in the postseason. If Avdija and the Trail Blazers are to force a Game 6, they need to clean up the mistakes. POR Forward #8 Avdija got off to a fast start in Sunday’s outing. He logged 11 first-quarter points and added eight more to total 19 points at halftime. Yet, he was much less dominant the remainder of the game, taking just two shots in the third frame before logging six points in the fourth. Still, Avdija was the only Trail Blazer with more than 20 points on the evening. He’ll likely need some of his teammates to contribute more on the offensive end if Portland wants to avoid dropping Game 2. POR Forward #8 Avdija was everything the Blazers needed down the stretch to mount a come-from-behind win. The first-time All-Star repeatedly got to the rim throughout the fourth quarter and ultimately scored the go-ahead layup with 16.1 seconds remaining. He finished with game-highs in points and assists while leading the Blazers from 11 points down midway through the final frame to mount a comeback that would secure them the seventh seed in the playoffs. Portland will face San Antonio in the opening round. POR Forward #8 Avdija finished the regular season with another excellent game in the win over the Kings on Sunday. The 25-year-old power forward was just four rebounds shy of a triple-double. Avdija also had 25 points and five three-pointers. He finished the season in the top-80 in per game value and will lead Portland as they head into the Play-In tournament. POR Forward #8 Towards the end of a season where he dealt with a back injury, Avdija is finishing strong with at least 26 points in each of his last five games. His 35 points were a game-high in the victory over the Clippers on Friday. Avdija provided eighth-round per game value this season, which could’ve been even better if not for his struggles with turnovers. POR Forward #8 Scoring-wise, Avdija had a good night, finishing with a true shooting percentage of 63.7 percent. However, six turnovers countered the six assists, and that category has been an issue for him at times this season. Avdija has undoubtedly been one of the NBA’s most improved players, but with increased usage has come a sharp increase in turnovers. Heading into the final two games of the regular season, he is averaging a career-high 3.9 turnovers per game. Avdija will need to clean that up heading into the postseason. POR Forward #8 Avdija secured a second straight 26-point outing on Monday. As usual, the free-throw line was his friend. However, he struggled from the field and gave the ball away four times. He’ll have a chance to land better production and more efficient scoring against the Spurs on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers are battling for seeding in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. They are currently the ninth seed. Rotoworld My Favorites GSW Guard #26 Player Stats Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players Miles Kelly tallied 24 points (8-of-16 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), seven rebounds, six assists, one block and six three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers. Kelly, who spent some of his rookie campaign with the Mavericks on a two-way deal, is with the Warriors on an Exhibit 10 contract. His chances of making the team’s Opening Night roster are slim, but a night like Wednesday doesn’t hurt. He shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc and led all scorers with 24 points while also providing solid value in rebounds and assists. Don’t be surprised if the Warriors look to keep Kelly with their G League affiliate this season. GSW Forward #21 Player Stats Dalen Terry finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers with 23 points (9-of-18 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, nine assists, four steals, and four three-pointers. With Wednesday’s game being their second in as many nights, the Warriors rested most of their available rotation players. Among those who benefited was Terry, who is in the Warriors’ training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal. Logging 43 minutes, the former first-round pick recorded a stat line that would make many fantasy managers ecstatic. However, while this was an excellent night for Terry, he still faces long odds to make the Warriors’ Opening Night roster. GSW Guard #3 Player Stats Will Richard amassed 15 points (3-of-7 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), three rebounds, one steal and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers. As a rookie, Richard averaged 20.0 minutes per appearance and shot 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. With Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody both out recovering from knee injuries, Richard will have opportunities to earn more playing time. He started against the Trail Blazers, as the Warriors rested many key contributors in the second game of a back-to-back. Despite his showing in Portland, Richard isn’t a must-draft player, especially in 12-team formats. GSW Guard #12 Player Stats Brandon Williams tallied 17 points (7-of-11 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), three rebounds, four assists, one steal and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers. With the Warriors playing their second game in as many nights, most of the players expected to log consistent rotation minutes were held out. That opened the door for Williams, who scored 17 points in 18 minutes. He earned consistent minutes in Dallas last season, and a performance like Wednesday’s can go a long way toward solidifying Williams’ immediate future with the Warriors. If he’s on the Opening Night roster, $1.4 million of Williams’ contract will be guaranteed. The rest would be guaranteed if he’s on the roster on January 10. POR Center-Forward #35 Player Stats Robert Williams III notched eight points (4-of-5 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal and five blocks in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. With Donovan Clingan on the roster, Williams is locked into the backup center role. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t provide good value, especially for managers punting points or free-throw percentage. Against the Warriors, Williams was an excellent rim protector and already appears to have established good on-court chemistry with Ja Morant. With an ADP outside the first 100 picks, the Time Lord can be a fantasy surprise, especially if injury restrictions aren’t the issue they’ve been in past years. POR Guard #5 Player Stats Jrue Holiday finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors with five points (2-of-8 FGs), seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one three-pointer. Holiday came off the bench in Wednesday’s preseason opener, as expected. The good news for fantasy managers is that the veteran guard still provided positive value in rebounds and assists. Coming off the bench does lower Holiday’s fantasy ceiling considerably, pushing his ADP outside the first 100 picks in 12-team leagues. He’ll be worth a look for managers hoping to add a “safer” option in the latter rounds of drafts. POR Center #23 Player Stats Donovan Clingan recorded three points (1-of-7 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. Clingan didn’t shoot the ball well on Wednesday, but he was active as a rebounder and defender. And, truth be told, those are the areas where fantasy managers expect to receive value if they draft the former UConn center. Last season, Clingan provided third-round per-game value in nine-cat formats and was an excellent option for managers punting either points or free-throw percentage. That’s unlikely to change this season, especially with Portland adding Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to the rotation. POR Guard #1 Player Stats Ja Morant tallied eight points (3-of-8 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, five assists and two steals in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. Making his unofficial Trail Blazers debut, Morant logged 19 minutes and recorded five assists. By comparison, the other four starters combined for six helpers. He didn’t score much, but that shouldn’t concern fantasy managers. The concern is Morant’s availability, as managers should assume at least one extended injury absence. After appearing in at least 61 games in three of his first four seasons, Morant has played 79 games over the last three. That concern knocks him down most draft boards, regardless of league format. POR Forward #8 Player Stats Deni Avdija amassed 23 points (9-of-13 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, two assists and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in the fold, questions arose this offseason about how that would affect Avdija’s usage. Coming off the best season of his NBA career, the Trail Blazers forward looked good in the team’s preseason opener. A 31.8 percent shooter from three last season, Avdija made three of his six attempts from beyond the arc and shot 6-of-7 from two. His usage of 30.2 was the highest among the Blazers starters, and he led the team in shot attempts. His assist output may take a hit this season because of the number of quality guards on Portland’s roster, but Avdija won’t lack scoring opportunities. POR Guard #0 Player Stats Damian Lillard finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors with 15 points (5-of-11 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist, two steals and three three-pointers. Appearing in a game for the first time since the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Lillard looked sharp in his 19 minutes. Coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, he started alongside newcomer Ja Morant and did most of his work off the ball. Lillard will be a key figure for the Trail Blazers this season, but his assist production may take a slight hit with Morant’s arrival. That said, Lillard simply being on the court is a win for fantasy managers and basketball in general.