Deni Avdija is in a great starting position for a "significant salary increase"
In the US, they claim that the arrival of Ja Morant and the return of Damian Lillard will open up the floor for the star: "He is the most important asset, this is the most talented team he has had by his side."
Despite the fact that the ball is expected to be in his hands less next season following the arrival of Ja Morant and the return of Damian Lillard, in the USA they claim that "Deni Avdija is the big winner of the new backcourt." This was the headline of a column published in the "Rip City Project" blog, which covers the team, where they noted that the Israeli star faced plenty of double-teams last year — just like superstars such as Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
"Lillard and Morant are expected to take a significant portion of the offensive load off Avdija," it was written.
There are, of course, concerns about the Israeli's connection with the pair of guards who love the ball: "It is possible that the connection between Avdija and Morant will not be simple. Both love to hold the ball and attack the rim, and both are considered average outside shooters. Moving the former Memphis star to the bench might help solve spacing issues, but in any case, he is expected to draw defensive attention and allow Avdija to face a single defender more often. Even if the connection with Morant proves complicated, the combination of Avdija and Lillard should work more smoothly. The Blazers legend is not expected to have much difficulty adapting to a game where he moves more without the ball."
Replacing Tiago Splitter with Micah Nori — who is considered slightly more creative — may also help Avdija next season. "It remains to be seen who will be Portland's top player when the regular season begins," concluded the "Rip City Project." "However, it can be argued that Avdija is the club's most important long-term asset, and therefore the Blazers must do everything in their power to put him in a position that will allow him to succeed."
Avdija currently holds one of the most cost-effective contracts for a team in the NBA — a contract he signed back during his time in Washington. It is possible that negotiations to upgrade his agreement will open soon, and he will certainly want to prove that he deserves a significant salary increase. Therefore, Deni will need to take advantage of the opportunity to play alongside what may be the most talented group of players he has had by his side throughout his career.
