The Portland Trail Blazers were well represented at All-Star Weekend. The fact that they already have an All-Star in Deni Avdija comes as a surprise, as their lack of star power was the biggest question mark plaguing them throughout their rebuild, particularly once Damian Lillard left the picture in 2023.
Although Lillard is back on a team-friendly deal, Portland can't rely on him the same way, given his age and Achilles recovery. But another team-friendly contract is Avdija, who is somehow on a frontloaded deal. The Blazers' newest All-Star makes $14.4 million this season, and that number decreases to $11.9 million by 2027-28.
It would be a steal even if it stayed at his current rate. Just look at how much other All-Stars around the league make; many exceed the $50 million mark just this season alone, with Stephen Curry the headliner at $59.6 million.
Deni Avdija's All-Star contract is singlehandedly elevating Portland's rebuild
That's going to be the Blazers' advantage going forward. They don't have the top-tier superstars to compete with rebuilding teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs, but they do have a star locked into an incredibly team-friendly deal for multiple years.
The fact that Portland came away with an All-Star on that contract for just two first-round picks is incredible. And yes, it was a mistake on the Washington Wizards' behalf, no matter how adamant they are that it wasn't.
The downside of having this contract is that it's almost too good. Avdija is clearly outplaying it, meaning Portland will eventually have to renegotiate and extend his contract. That's a future problem they'll need to address, but it's still a good problem that every other team would love to have.
The combination of Avdija's team-friendly contract and Portland's rookie-scale deals puts them in an ideal rebuilding position. That's the reason they are able to keep Jerami Grant's massive salary instead of packaging valuable assets to dump him. Most significantly, it's why they were able to swap Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday, landing a star guard without any draft capital involved. The Blazers paid a premium for Holiday in the form of his contract, and having another star in Avdija locked down for so long likely made them feel much more comfortable in that decision.
While we wish Portland could capitalize on this contract on a larger scale by upgrading its roster to become true contenders, there's no denying the positive impact having an All-Star on the books for so cheap has had. Avdija's first All-Star appearance further confirms that his breakout has accelerated Portland's rebuild, and his contract is an overlooked reason behind it.