ESPN was first to report the trade, which is in line with the Wizards’ big-picture goals as they enter the second year of a rebuild: Look to gather trade capital and set themselves up to acquire high lottery picks in coming drafts. There is talent in the 2024 draft class, but no one as tantalizing as Cooper Flagg, next year’s projected No. 1 pick who is slated to attend Duke for the upcoming season.
The move is a business decision, but Avdija’s departure will sting. The Israel native had as close to a breakout season as one could have in 2023-24 playing for the second-worst team in the NBA and has endeared himself to Wizards fans since the organization drafted him ninth overall in 2020.
He averaged a career-high 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 50.6 percent from the field as the Wizards finished with a 15-67 record. And while still only 23, he became a locker-room linchpin with his earnestness and sense of humor.
In Brogdon, the Wizards take on a 31-year-old guard entering the final year of a contract in which he is owed $22.5 million. A former standout at Virginia taken in the second round of the 2016 draft, Brogdon averaged 15.7 points while shooting 44 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc in 28.7 minutes across 39 games for the Blazers.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
