While many Golden State Warriors fans would have been focused on their own team during Wednesday's preseason outing at Chase Center, there was also a notable absentee from the starting lineup of the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.
When Deni Avdija wasn't part of Chauncey Billups' starting group, it was assumed he was simply resting out of the game entirely. Instead the sixth-year forward came off the bench, perhaps making him a target for the Warriors to already monitor should it continue into the season.
Warriors should already have an eye on Deni Avdija
Many would argue Avdija is Portland's best player following his stunning end to last season, having averaged 20.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists in his last 30 games while shooting an efficient 49.1% from the floor and 39.4% from 3-point range.
That's what makes Wednesday's move to the bench so stunning, with Billups choosing to start Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant and Donovan Clingan. Avdija still played a comparable amount of time as those guys, and it clearly didn't impact him too much given he had 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists in less than 20 minutes of action.
There's a strong likelihood that Avdija returns to the starting lineup and that this is simply a weird preseason occurence that will be forgotten about in time. However, if it's something Billups pushes forward with, the 6'9" forward is exactly the type of player Golden State should be targeting to complement the veteran quartet of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford.
The Warriors reportedly had interest in Avdija heading into the 2020 NBA Draft, but taking him second overall would have been a reach given he eventually went ninth overall to the Washington Wizards.
The 24-year-old represents a lot of what works in the Golden State system -- good size and a high IQ with the ability to be a multi-faceted ball-handler and playmaker. His 3-point shooting has also been much improved over the past two seasons to the point where while not an absolute sharpshooter, he does need to be respected from beyond the arc.
The other beauty is that he's on an incredibly valuable contract, having signed a four-year, $55 million extension with the Wizards that's actually descending. That means that while Avdija makes $14.4 million this season, he'll make just $25 million combined over the next two years.
That's just one of the many reasons why the Trail Blazers won't deal him, but perhaps they can be swayed with a hefty offer if their view of him doesn't reflect the sort of numbers he posted in the second-half of last season.
What that kind of offer looks like remains to be seen, but there's no doubt Portland would want a better price than the two first-round picks and two second-round picks they relinquished to get him from Washington 15 months ago.