The Portland Trail Blazers acquired forward Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night in exchange for guard Malcolm Brogdon, the No. 14 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, and a 2029 draft pick. The 23-year-old spent four seasons with the Wizards. But he easily had the best year of his career in 2023-24, averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He also shot 37.9% from behind the arc. Avdija still has plenty of untapped potential, and there aren't many players in the National Basketball Association who are more durable.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton plans to sign a four-year, $100 million deal to remain with the team. The Nets are heading toward a rebuild. However, Claxton remains a pivotal piece of the Nets' long-term plans. He's played at least 71 games in the last two seasons, and he finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks while shooting 62.9% from the field. It's reasonable to assume the 25-year-old will improve, especially on the scoring end, if Brooklyn can't bring in a reliable scorer to replace Mikal Bridges, who was traded to the Knicks on Tuesday evening.

The Washington Wizards acquired guard Malcolm Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in exchange for forward Deni Avdija. The 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds with the Trail Blazers last season. He also shot 41.2% from behind the arc. However, due to injury, Brogdon was limited to only 39 games in Portland. Nagging ailments have been the norm for him throughout his career. Although the 31-year-old can play at an All-Star level, fantasy managers will look in other directions until he proves he can stay healthy.

Boston Celtics forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (leg) is set to miss the start of next season. Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon during the NBA Finals and needs surgery. "Kristaps, after his surgery, we don't know exactly when he'll be back," said Celtics president Brad Stevens on The Ryen Russillo Podcast. "But, you know, he'll probably miss at least the very start of the season." Luckily for Boston, they have Al Horford waiting in the wings, and he's proven himself to be a very capable deputy to Porzingis. Stevens also suggested that the Celtics might experiment with different things without Porzingis. "And so that'll be a great opportunity for us to do things different and have to find different solutions and those types of things that come with it," Stevens said.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland appears ready to remain on the team. Following Cleveland's second-round exit against Boston, multiple reports suggested he will be looking for a change of scenery if Donovan Mitchell ties himself long-term with the franchise. Mitchell is now on the cusp of agreeing to an extension with the Cavaliers. But according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, this won't affect Garland's future on the team. Speaking on the most recent episode of The Lowe Post, Lowe said Garland "is cool with the current situation." Garland ran into health issues this season and took a step back, averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. However, he was an All-Star just two years ago and should be capable of getting back to the level.