Washington Wizards
fromWiz of Awes
5 days agoDeni Avdija just put the final nail in the Wizards' trade decision
The trade of Deni Avdija by the Wizards is increasingly viewed as a mistake after his standout performance with the Trail Blazers.
PHOENIX -- Portland Trail Blazers All-Star guard Deni Avdija left Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns because of a lower back injury and the team said he wouldn't return to the game. Avdija was listed as questionable coming into the game but decided to play. He lasted just one minute before leaving the court and going back to the locker room.
Two of the NBA's best players will be on display when Tyrese Maxey (28.8 points per game, sixth in league) and the Philadelphia 76ers (30-22) travel to face Deni Avdija (25.5, 13th) and the Portland Trail Blazers (25-28) on Monday, February 9, 2026 at 10 p.m. ET on KUNP and NBCS-PH. The 76ers won their last outing 109-103 against the Suns on Saturday. In their last outing on Saturday, the Trail Blazers claimed a 122-115 win over the Grizzlies.
Not only do the Wizards find themselves at the bottom of the NBA standings, but they've been forced to watch bizarre starts for several players who entered the season with high hopes, including multiple young prospects who seemed destined to make a leap in the DMV. Despite that, the sophomore leaps of Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr have given the team and their fanbase reason to believe they were headed in the right direction.