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OKC Thunder draft prospect profile: Deni Avdija

By Tamberlyn Richardson

Deni Avdija of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Deni Avdija of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder draft prospect profile
OKC Thunder draft prospect profile: Billy Baron of Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade tries to block Deni Avdija of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv. (Photo by Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images) /

Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija is a draft prospect the OKC Thunder should take a long hard look at.

Likely to be the top European selection Deni Avdija is one of those talents the OKC Thunder might want to consider trading up for, especially since his most frequent pro comparison is Danilo Gallinari.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv forward falls into that typical European level of player who has developed the full skill set and fundamental aspects of his game. Avdija has questions regarding his ceiling, but by the same token in a draft jam-packed with guards, a wing of his skill set is compelling. Similarly, he doesn’t have much competition at his position in terms of how many boxes he can check off.

As with many of these early draft prospect profiles, Avdija won’t be on the board when the OKC Thunder pick at 25.  With that let’s take a look at the 19-year old with a view to his potential and whether Sam Presti should consider trading up for him.

OKC Thunder NBA draft prospect profile: Deni Avdija

The following offers up the top-line details of the forward a quick look at his stats this season and where he ranks on mock drafts or big boards by top analysts and national sites.

Specifics:

  • Height: 6’9″
  • Weight: 215 pounds
  • Wingspan: 6’9”
  • Position: Forward
  • Birthdate/Age: January 3, 2001, 19 years, 10 months
  • International:  Maccabi Tel Aviv
  • Home Town: Israel

The following chart from basketball reference international players notes Avdija’s stats for Maccabi from Euroleague play.

Per Game Table
Season Team G MP FGA FG% 3PA 3P% 2PA 2P% FTA FT% DRB TRB AST PTS
2018-19 Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv 8 6.4 3.4 .444 1.3 .500 2.1 .412 0.3 1.000 1.0 1.5 0.3 3.9
2019-20 Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv 26 14.3 3.6 .436 1.8 .277 1.8 .596 0.7 .556 2.0 2.6 1.2 4.0
2 Seasons 12.4 3.6 .438 1.7 .316 1.9 .547 0.6 .600 1.8 2.4 0.9 4.0

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/9/2020.

Current Ranking:

Avdija is projected by most analysts to be selected somewhere between fourth and sixth. Although I have no evidence recent rumors has me believing there could be something in the works for a team who is adept at finding hidden gems. (see Thunder fit for more on this).

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