clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The Wizards believe drafting Deni Avdija is a “no-brainer.” He could even be the steal of the draft!

Washington Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard said that the Maccabi Tel Aviv forward was their top player in their draft board when it was their turn to pick.

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv - Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
The Washington Wizards were ecstatic to see that Deni Avdija fell to their laps.
Photo by Marko Metlas/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

The Washington Wizards have drafted Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija No. 9 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft earlier today. And according to early reactions from the front office, they were very happy to draft the Israeli-Serbian national.

Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard called drafting him a “no-brainer” since he was at the top of their draft board when it was their turn to pick. In addition, he saw Avdija play last year in EuroLeague play and kept an eye on the now-Wizards rookie since he was 16. Avdija is 19, so that’s about three years!

Head coach Scott Brooks also believes that Avdija will make practices and their squad more competitive right away.

Before the draft today, many mock drafts predicted that Avdija would be a Top-5 pick. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, kind of like how last week’s SB Nation NBA team site mock draft went. Anyway, since Avdija has shown potential as a playmaker and scorer, some already think he may be the steal of the draft.

So, do you think Avdija is a steal at No. 9 or is this the right place for him to be picked? Let us know in the comments below.