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Portland Trail Blazers Block NBA Star Deni Avdija From Israel National Team Due to Injury Insurance Issues

How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.

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First reported by Mako · Jul 14, 2026

What happened

Deni Avdija missed Israel's recent World Cup qualifying games because the Portland Trail Blazers refused to release him due to insurance risks related to his existing back injury. This insurance issue stems from FIBA-NBA agreements requiring full coverage, which was denied because of a medical exclusion clause. As a result, Portland blocked Avdija's participation to avoid financial risk.

01Deni Avdija missed Israel's recent World Cup qualifiers due to injury insurance issues.
02FIBA-NBA agreement mandates full insurance coverage for players representing their countries.
03Avdija's pre-existing back injury led insurers to exclude coverage for aggravations.
04Portland Trail Blazers refused to release Avdija without full insurance protection.
05The team risked paying Avdija's salary if his injury worsened during national team play.
06Avdija's absence drew criticism amid Israel's losses to Germany and Croatia.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

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