Israeli NBA Star Deni Avdija Ranked Among League's Top 10 Scorers

Israeli basketball player Deni Avdija has been projected as one of the NBA's top 10 scorers for the upcoming 2026-27 season by the prominent American sports publication Bleacher Report. Avdija, a star for the Portland Trail Blazers, is ranked ninth, ahead of established stars like Donovan Mitchell and alongside elite players such as Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokić.

The analysis highlighted Avdija's impressive performance last season, where he averaged a career-high 24.1 points and 6.7 assists per game, solidifying his role as the Trail Blazers' primary playmaker and earning his first All-Star selection. Bleacher Report specifically praised his aggressive drives to the basket and physical strength, which led him to average over nine free-throw attempts per game. The publication also advised the Trail Blazers' management to rely more heavily on Avdija, stating that none of the team's other guards are worthy of taking scoring opportunities away from him.

Bleacher Report suggested that 25 points per game is not the ceiling for Avdija in the coming season but rather a baseline from which he is expected to grow. This recognition comes amid recent speculation about Avdija's future with the Trail Blazers. Senior NBA writer Sam Quinn of CBS Sports suggested that Avdija might seek a new team when his contract expires in the summer of 2028, citing the Trail Blazers' current trajectory as a "sinking ship" that is not building correctly to retain him under salary cap constraints.