Deni Avdija’s breakout year in Portland came with a catch, and it’s one the Trail Blazers can’t afford to ignore.
The Blazers’ first All-Star since Damian Lillard wasn’t the same player down the stretch of 2025-26. A lingering lower back injury chipped away at both his availability and his production, turning what looked like a rising-star season into something more complicated by the finish line.
That issue has followed him into the summer. Portland didn’t want to take any chances with his health, which kept him from playing for Israel. Avdija’s national team was then knocked out of 2027 FIBA World Cup contention after an 85-70 loss to Latvia in the second round of the European Qualifiers.
Avdija addressed the situation directly on Instagram and pushed back on the criticism he had been facing over his absence.
"This time, I wanted to be there just as much. But this summer I dealt with a complex back injury.
An injury that those who haven't gone through it really can't understand what it demands, and the decision not to participate in this window wasn't one I made alone," Avdija said. "Portland wasn't willing to take a risk with my health, and in the situation that arose, I simply didn't have the option to step up and play."
He added that he wants to suit up for Israel again in the future and is focused on getting healthy and back on the floor.
Blazers insider Sean Highkin said on X that Portland’s decision is not automatically a warning sign, especially with this coming in a non-World Cup year. Even so, he noted there is still a real possibility the back issue remains something the team has to manage.
"Maybe we find out down the line that Deni's back is completely cooked but I don't think it's a big deal at all that the Blazers wouldn't sign off on him playing for the national team in a non-World Cup/Olympic year to be safe, after how much the back gave him trouble last year."
The on-court numbers show why this matters. Before the All-Star break, Avdija shot 34.6 percent from three over 46 games.
After the injury, that dropped to 23.5 percent in 20 games. The lower back problem was affecting the lift he needed on his jumper, and for a Portland team that has spent multiple seasons battling its three-point issues, that decline landed at the worst possible time.
He still found ways to contribute, helped by the kind of all-around game that lets him stay productive even when the shot isn’t falling. Getting to the free-throw line gave him a stable baseline. But the Blazers were counting on their new All-Star to help solve one of their biggest offensive weaknesses, and the injury undercut that plan.
There’s also a bigger-picture question for Portland now: how much of this carries over? The Blazers could be hoping the offseason rest gets Avdija back to the version they had before the injury hit. That’s the player they need if they’re going to have a real shot at a playoff run.
And with a healthy Avdija, maybe Portland’s five-game first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs looks different, especially after the Blazers blew leads in multiple games. That part is hypothetical. The real concern is simpler: whether Avdija’s back becomes a short-term setback or a lingering problem for Portland going forward.
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