Deni Avdija

Deni Avdija to finish season in Israel before coming to U.S. ahead of Draft

Maccabi Tel Aviv guard and projected top-5 NBA lottery pick Deni Avdija told reporters he will finish the season in Israel when play resumes on Sunday prior to coming to the U.S. ahead of the Draft in October.

Fantasy Impact

The versatile 6-foot-9 guard is the no. 5 prospect in the ESPN 100 for the 2020 NBA Draft. Before he comes to America to live out his dreams of playing in the NBA, he told reporters via email, "Before I go to the U.S., I have a job to finish here in Israel. As a competitor I am committed to my organization and teammates to help bring a championship to Tel Aviv. We were having such a great season, so winning the title, even with the delay and without live fans, will give me a sense that the hard work paid off." Before the Israeli basketball league was suspended in March, Avdija was averaging 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 27 minutes per game for Maccabi Tel Aviv, who has a chance to win its third consecutive title.