Deni Avdija Bio
Deni Avdija is an Israeli and Serbian professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on 3 January 2001 in kibbutz Beit Zera, Israel, he plays the small forward position and is nicknamed “Turbo” for his fast-paced drive and aggressive playing style. Before joining the NBA, he played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, where he became the youngest player in club history and the youngest Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP.
Avdija entered the NBA in 2020 as the ninth overall pick by the Washington Wizards and spent four seasons in Washington before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2024. A versatile forward, he has represented Israel at every age level and won two gold medals at the FIBA U20 European Championship. He was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in February 2026, becoming the first player of Israeli descent to earn that honor.
Early Life and Background
Avdija was born in kibbutz Beit Zera in northern Israel. His mother, Sharon Artzi, an Israeli Jew from the kibbutz, is a former track and field and basketball player. His father, Zufer Avdija, is of Muslim-Gorani heritage from Pristina and played professional basketball for the Yugoslavia national team before moving to Israel in the 1990s, where he played 11 seasons for Crvena zvezda and later several Israeli clubs.
Avdija played association football until the fourth grade, when a friend and teammate, Itamar Vule, convinced him to try basketball because of his height. He began focusing on the sport and joined the youth ranks of Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2013, playing under coach Shai Omer. In December 2018, he led his Tichon Hadash high school team to the Israeli high school championship.
Avdija holds dual citizenship of Israel and Serbia, the latter through his father. He is Jewish and sat out his first preseason game with the Trail Blazers in 2024 to observe Yom Kippur. He has said that he learned to speak English by playing video games and watching Nickelodeon sitcoms.
Path to Basketball
Avdija initially competed at the youth level for Bnei Herzliya before joining Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth system. From 2017 to 2019, he led Maccabi Tel Aviv to three consecutive Israeli youth state championships. He participated in Basketball Without Borders Europe in Belgrade in August 2018 and was named camp MVP, then earned MVP honors at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte in February 2019.
In January 2019, Avdija played for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s U18 team at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Munich and was selected to the all-tournament team after leading the event with 24.3 points, 6 assists, and 3.8 steals per game. In May 2019, he joined Maccabi Tel Aviv’s U18 team for the ANGT Finals and again earned all-tournament team honors.
For the Israeli junior national team, Avdija played at the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship, the 2018 FIBA U20 European Championship in Chemnitz (where he won gold), and the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship in Tel Aviv, where he led Israel to a second straight gold medal and was named tournament MVP. Although eligible to represent Serbia through his father, he chose to play for Israel, where he was born and raised.
Deni Avdija Career
Maccabi Tel Aviv Breakthrough (2017–2020)
On 5 November 2017, Avdija signed a six-year professional contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv and made his debut two weeks later against Ironi Nes Ziona, becoming the youngest player ever to appear for the club’s senior team at 16 years and 320 days old. He made his EuroLeague debut on 22 November 2018 at age 17, scoring two points in three minutes against Fenerbahçe.
During the 2019–20 season, Avdija recorded a then-career-high 22 points in a win over Hapoel Holon in January 2020 and later set a new career high with 26 points against Hapoel Eilat. His dunk over Luigi Datome in a victory over Fenerbahçe was named the EuroLeague Magic Moment of the Season in July 2020. On 28 July 2020, he helped Maccabi Tel Aviv defeat Maccabi Rishon LeZion 86–81 in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Final and became the youngest player ever to win the Israeli League MVP award. He also earned Israeli League Israeli Player of the Year and All-Israeli League First Team honors.
Washington Wizards Era (2020–2024)
Avdija was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards and signed his rookie contract on 1 December 2020. As a rookie, he set a then-career-high 20 points against the Miami Heat in January 2021 before suffering a season-ending right ankle fracture in April 2021 against the Golden State Warriors.
During the 2021–22 season, Avdija played all 82 games and averaged 8.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He set career highs in rebounds with 20 against the Chicago Bulls in January 2023 and in points with 25 against the San Antonio Spurs later that month. On 22 October 2023, he and the Wizards agreed to a four-year, $55 million contract extension.
In February 2024, Avdija posted a new career-high 43 points along with 15 rebounds in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He finished the 2023–24 season with career-best averages of 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, shooting 51 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range.
Portland Trail Blazers Era (2024–Present)
On 6 July 2024, Avdija was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Bub Carrington, Malcolm Brogdon, and several draft selections. On 2 March 2025, he recorded his first career triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in an overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, then posted his second triple-double on 2 April 2025 with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.
During the 2025–26 season, Avdija emerged as the Trail Blazers’ primary offensive option, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 35.2 minutes per game over a strong first third of the schedule. He was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 11 on 5 January 2026, scored a season-high 41 points in a 103–102 win over the Houston Rockets on 7 January, and was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game on 1 February 2026, becoming the first player of Israeli descent to earn that recognition.
On 14 April 2026, Avdija recorded 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead the Trail Blazers past the Phoenix Suns 114–110 in the play-in tournament, clinching the No. 7 seed. He made his playoff debut on 19 April 2026 with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Portland lost the first-round series in five games, with Avdija averaging 22.2 points per game.
Notable Events and Milestones
Avdija’s career-defining moments include becoming the youngest player in Maccabi Tel Aviv history, the youngest Israeli League MVP, and the first player of Israeli descent to be named an NBA All-Star. His dunk over Luigi Datome in the EuroLeague became the Magic Moment of the 2020 Season, and his 43-point performance for the Wizards in February 2024 stood as a career high before he matched 41 points twice for Portland in the 2025–26 season.
Deni Avdija Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Avdija comes from a deep basketball background. His father, Zufer Avdija, played for Crvena zvezda for 11 seasons and captained the team in the 1980s, then moved to Israel in the 1990s and played eight seasons for Ramat HaSharon, Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Elitzur Bat Yam. Zufer also represented the Yugoslavian national team and won a bronze medal at the 1982 FIBA World Championship. His mother, Sharon Artzi, was a former track and field athlete and basketball player in Israel.
Personal Life
Avdija holds dual Israeli and Serbian citizenship through his father. In April 2020, while the basketball season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in a non-combat role under the “Exceptional Athlete” status. In November 2025, he launched Turbo, a protein ice cream brand inspired by his own nickname.
2025 Season Performance
Avdija’s first full season with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2024–25 was a strong individual showing. He averaged 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists over 13 games in March 2025 while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three-point range. He recorded his first two career triple-doubles during the stretch, against Cleveland on 2 March 2025 and Atlanta on 2 April 2025.
His momentum carried into the 2025–26 season, when he became Portland’s primary offensive option and produced multiple triple-doubles against the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time on 5 January 2026 and earned his first All-Star selection on 1 February 2026.
Avdija finished the regular season as a finalist for the NBA Most Improved Player award, ultimately placing third in the voting. He then led the Trail Blazers past Phoenix in the play-in tournament before averaging 22.2 points across a five-game first-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs, capping the most productive stretch of his NBA career.
