The Portland Trail Blazers have spent the better part of the past four seasons figuring out what the identity of the team will be moving forward. A storied organization that missed the playoffs just eight times between 1977 and 2021, it was a strange chapter of uncertainty.
In July of 2024, however, the Trail Blazers finalized a trade that not only pushed them toward unearthing their new identity, but filling a Nicolas Batum sized void.
Batum has carved out a 17-year NBA career, thriving with four different franchises. The most storied chapter of his career, however, was spent in Portland, where he emerged as one of the most well-rounded forwards that the NBA had to offer.
Since the Trail Blazers traded Batum in 2015, however, they've struggled to find another versatile forward to replicate the immense value he provided.
Thankfully, steps have been taken toward finally addressing the need for reliability at forward. Jerami Grant is a 3-and-D specialist who can excel in two key areas, and Toumani Camara is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising young players in the NBA.
As far as finding the ever-important all-around player to work the wings, however, it's Deni Avdija who appears best suited to replace Batum—10 years later.
Deni Avdija: A promising scorer who does a bit of everything
Let's get this out of the way up front: Avdija is by no means the caliber of defender that Batum proved to be. He's certainly not a bad defender, and the upside is clear on that end of the floor, but Batum had lockdown capabilities and a unique gift to adapt to any situation.
With all of that established, the Trail Blazers haven't had a wing who thrives in every phase of the game since Batum—and Avdija otherwise checks those boxes.
Avdija is a 6'9" and 240-pound force with the ability to produce in every area. Thus far in 2024-25, he's averaging 15.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.7 three-point field goals made in 29.5 minutes per game, shooting at a respectable clip of .472/.366/.781.
Avdija is knocking down 35.0 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes, 43.1 percent of his pull-up attempts from distance, and 56.0 percent of his shots via drives.
Avdija is a crafty ballhandler who can get downhill and finish with either touch or power. He has the strength to play through contact and the skill to create space and finish as a jump shooter. He's a reliable in-between game away from being the complete package as a scorer.
That's begun to materialize in 2024-25, as Avdija has put it all together to average 17.9 points per game since Dec. 1 and 21.1 points per contest since returning from the All-Star break.
Deni Avdija: The all-around player Portland has needed since Nic Batum
The reason Avdija has a chance to fill the Batum void is that he offers value that ranges beyond scoring. He's a productive rebounder, pulling down a thoroughly impressive 7.9 per game since Jan. 1, including 1.3 offensive boards per contest.
It's also worth noting that Avdija is averaging 8.4 rebounds per 36 minutes in 2024-25—just 0.1 higher than his career average.
Perhaps even more important is the fact that he's a skilled passer who's becoming more precise in the way he attacks as a playmaker. He's averaging 5.4 assists per game in March, seemingly realizing an aspect of his potential that made him a top-10 pick in 2020.
Much like Batum, Avdija is a truly well-rounded player who can create for himself and others while maintaining a more than respectable degree of efficiency.
The crucial next step will be for Avdija to decide in which direction he's going to take the next step forward. Perhaps he'll emerge as a legitimate go-to or No. 2 scoring option, but if not, then he needs to lean into that well-rounded nature—on both ends of the floor.
Regardless of what comes next for Avdija, the Trail Blazers finally have the all-around forward they've been lacking since trading Batum in 2015.