Deni Avdija has already established himself as a central pillar of Portland’s core, but momentum is building in the United States that the upcoming season could elevate him to historic status within the franchise.
Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Mike Richman, host of the Locked On Blazers podcast, laid out a series of bold predictions - headlined by the prospect of the Israeli forward earning his second consecutive All-Star Game selection and cementing his place among the Trail Blazers' all-time greats.
Joining an elite club in Trail Blazers history
"I think this is the season where Avdija truly makes his mark - where he elevates to a level where he's no longer just an interesting trivia answer for players who made a single All-Star appearance in a Portland uniform," Richman said. "He’ll become a player who joins the club of the truly great ones."
Richman emphasized, however, that securing back-to-back All-Star honors will be no easy feat given the fierce depth of the Western Conference.
"It’s going to be tough to make the All-Star team in the West. There’s still top-tier talent there. LeBron is no longer there, which frees up one spot, and that helps. But it’s still going to be very difficult to make that team."
Nevertheless, his projection for the forward remains resolute: "My bold prediction is that Deni Avdija will become a multi-time All-Star and join a very exclusive group in Portland history. He would be just the 13th player in Trail Blazers history to be selected to the All-Star Game more than once. If he gets selected in back-to-back seasons, he joins an even smaller list. That would quickly place him alongside some of Portland’s all-time greats. It’s a bold prediction, considering historical precedents."
Season projections and team expectations
Rounding out his outlook for the season, Richman offered specific numerical forecasts: Portland will finish with 43 wins to claim the 7th seed in the Western Conference, driven by Avdija leading the team in scoring on his way to a second straight All-Star nod. Offensively, Richman projects the Trail Blazers to rank 11th in the league, though defensive struggles will persist with a 21st-place ranking.