Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija was surprised to find out he had been traded by the Washington Wizards.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards officially had their trade go through over the weekend. In the deal, the Blazers acquired Deni Avdija in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and the No. 14 overall pick, which turned into Pittsburgh point guard Bub Carrington.
Avdija had the chance to speak with the local Portland media, where he shared his shock over the trade from the Wizards.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect [to be traded],” Avdija said. “Sometimes that’s the business and I embraced it. At the beginning, it was a little shocking as [Washington] DC was my home for four years and I had some great moments with the Wizards and now I am in a different place. I was a little shocked, it’s tough to leave home, but I’m excited to start a new chapter and really take this organization to the next level.”
Avdija explained that he was sleeping in his native Israel when he was waken up at 2 a.m. on the night of the NBA Draft to be told that he had been traded from Washington to Portland.
While Avdija is still somewhat processing his cross-country move, he is excited to get to Portland and be part of the Blazers.
“I heard that there is a very good fan base here, so I am excited to be a part of that,” Avdija said. “The West Coast, different city and seeing how the people interact and be a part of Portland is exciting. I’m excited to meet you all, I’m very happy to be here and we’re going to have a great time and we’re going to get some wins.”
While Avdija and the Wizards won just 15 games last season, six fewer than the Blazers, he hopes to be part of the solution towards winning more in Portland.
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