Deni Avdija, Wizards Agree to 4-Year, $55M Contract Extension Ahead of 2023-24 Season

The Washington Wizards and forward Deni Avdija have agreed on a four-year, $55 million contract extension (per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski).

Avdija averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 26.6 minutes per game during the 2022-23 season. The ball-handling wing was originally selected by Washington with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Still just 22 years old, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins is betting on the upside of Avdija.

When speaking with reporters in September, Dawkins noted that he was impressed by the former lottery pick's offseason regimen (per Neil Dalal of Hoop District).

"He's really invested in his body this summer and really invested with the team," he said. "We've had a lot of people travel to go visit him and just spend time with him. He spent time in D.C. this summer."

Avdija is part of a Wizards young core that consists of Jordan Poole, Corey Kispert, Johnny Davis, and rookie forward Bilal Coulibaly.

After trading both franchise icon Bradley Beal and former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason, Washington is choosing to start a youth movement and build for the future instead of chasing wins in the present without a realistic shot at winning the NBA Finals.

Avdija has shown flashes of the all-around potential that caused him to become a top ten pick, although he hasn't been able to remain consistently productive for more than a few games at a time.

He's also struggled with his shot as a member of the association, owning career shooting averages of just 31.0 percent from three and 73.4 percent on free throws.

However, Avdija recorded 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 17.3 minutes per game throughout the 2023-24 preseason. He also connected on four of his nine three-point attempts, a 44.4 percent mark.

If Avdija can improve in an expanded role while making strides with his jumper, his new $55 million extension will look like a steal in a few years.