In what has been an unexpected turn of events, the Western Conference isn't as stacked as everyone thought it would be. The Portland Trail Blazers can take advantage of that, sitting in 10th place with a 9-15 record, by being aggressive before the Feb. 5 deadline and finding the right player (s) to pair alongside Deni Avdija.
He impressed in his first full season in Portland in 2024-25, and in 2025-26, he's having his best season. Avdija is averaging a career-high 25.8 points (up from 16.9 last season), 7.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 34.3 minutes per game, shooting 47.