Deni Avdija, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, will not participate in the team’s first pre-season game of the 2024-25 NBA season due to Yom Kippur. The game against the Los Angeles Clippers is scheduled for Friday evening, 5:30 a.m. Israel time, after the holiday begins.

Sports media company The Action Network names Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers the 100th best player in the NBA: "At 23, he might be entering a breakout."

Chauncey Billups on the quote that’s been circulating about Deni Avdija being their best player: “I don’t know where the hell that came from. I never said that.”

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups routinely praises his players when they play well. How others interpret his words, he can’t control. For example, Billups said this on Friday about new forward Deni Avdija: “There’s been a couple of days where he’s probably been the best player out there.

Chauncey Billups and the Portland Trail Blazers did not see many changes to their roster this offseason as they continue to rebuild. However, the team did make one underrated move out of left field when they acquired forward Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards hours before the start of the 2024 NBA Draft in June.