Deni Avdija cleared off Portland's injury report after big night vs. Phoenix
Deni Avdija is off the injury report. Portland listed him as day-to-day on Oct. 21 with a right ankle and leg issue, then cleared him on Oct. 22. He played against Phoenix on Oct. 21 and had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in a Blazers win.
By the Trail Blazers Nightly Desk · updated 14 h ago01The story of the nightCleared and availableAvdija came off the injury report on Oct.
Avdija came off the injury report on Oct. 22. One day earlier, Portland listed him as day-to-day with a right ankle and leg issue. The listing did not keep him off the floor. He played against Phoenix on Oct. 21 and logged 23.4 minutes in a win. The clearance settles the biggest question around the 25-year-old forward heading into the next game. Those two entries are the only ones on his recent injury history. Last season his usage rate was 28.5, so the Blazers run a lot of their offense through him. His health is the first thing they check every night. Right now the answer is simple. He is not on the report, and he is available to play.
02October formAvdija has scored in double figures in all four of his October games.
Avdija has scored in double figures in all four of his October games. He opened with 23 points in 21.0 minutes against Golden State on Oct. 7, a Portland win. Against Sacramento on Oct. 13 he had 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, with a +22 in 24.9 minutes. The rematch with Golden State on Oct. 16 was his quietest night. He had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a loss and finished at -13. He bounced back against Phoenix with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Portland outscored the Suns by 25 with him on the floor. The Blazers won three of those four games, and he was a big part of every win.
03The minutes questionHis playing time stands out.
His playing time stands out. In October he has played between 21.0 and 24.9 minutes a game. Last season he averaged 33.3. That is a big drop, but it has not cut much into his scoring. He put up 26 points in 24.9 minutes against Sacramento and 23 in 21.0 against Golden State. The rebounding has shown up in spots, with 10 boards against Phoenix and 9 against Sacramento. The assists have been lighter. His October high is 4, after he averaged 6.7 last season. If his minutes climb back toward last season's level, his playmaking numbers are the first ones to watch.
04What last season looked likeLast season, Avdija averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 66 games for Portland.
Last season, Avdija averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 66 games for Portland. He played 33.3 minutes a night. He shot 46.2 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three and 80.2 percent at the line, good for a 60.0 true shooting percentage. His 28.5 usage rate made him a primary option. The weak spots were turnovers and the three-point shot. He averaged 3.8 turnovers a game, and 31.8 percent from deep leaves room to improve. He added 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. His plus-minus for the season was 0.2. Those numbers set the bar for 2026-27. He has six seasons in the league, and he is 25 years old.
05The April run against San AntonioPortland's spring ended with five games against San Antonio between April 19 and April 28.
Portland's spring ended with five games against San Antonio between April 19 and April 28. Avdija opened that stretch with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in 39.5 minutes on April 19, but Portland lost. He scored 14 points in a win on April 21. Three straight losses followed. He had 19 points and 9 assists on April 24, 26 points and 7 rebounds on April 26, and 22 points on April 28. He scored at least 14 points in all five games and played heavy minutes, with a high of 39.5. His plus-minus was negative every time. A week before that stretch, he had 25 points and 10 assists in a win over Sacramento on April 12.
Avdija24.2 ppg
WAS