To say that the world was stunned when the news hit of the country’s lone NBA player Deni Avdija being traded from the Washington Wizards to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft night would be an understatement. However, it wasn’t just the Holy Land hoop aficionados who were shocked to see the news cross the wires in the middle of the night – it was Avdija himself as well who didn’t see it coming, and perhaps was even blindsided by the move. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect [to be traded],” the said at his first Trail Blazers media appearance on Monday.
“Sometimes that’s the business and I embrace it. At the beginning, it was a little shocking as 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.
” Just like his fans in Israel, Avdija was jolted into a new reality early in the morning as he was in a deep slumber. “Well, I was sleeping. I was in Israel, it was 2 a.
m., I woke up, they let me know, the whole ‘Woj bomb’ thing. I didn’t go back to sleep that night.
It was shocking. It took me time to embrace it, but now that I’m over it, I feel like I’m in a great spot, and I’m very happy.” Portland is definitely a great spot for the 6-foot-9 Israeli, and the club has had an eye on him for quite some time.
Former ESPN draft analyst and current.