Blazers Rising Star Earns Major Recognition From Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo

Apr 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) dribbles up court as Toronto Raptors center Orlando Robinson (21) defends during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

There's an evident amount of mutual respect between Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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Antetokounmpo's Greece clipped Avdija's Israel 84-79 in the quarterfinals of EuroBasket on Tuesday. The Greek Freak poured in 37 points to go along with 10 rebounds. For good measure, Avdija led Israel with 23 points of his own.

Giannis Antetokounmpo approaches Deni Avdija, hugs with him, and talks to him, after Greece defeated Israel in the Round of 16 and qualified to the EuroBasket 2025 quarter finals

You can sense that Giannis thinks highly of Deni Avdijapic.twitter.com/KLFVblmhwi

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) September 8, 2025

After the game, the two shared a moment in which Antetokounmpo embraced the young Portland forward. Avdija is coming off the best year of his professional career, and this experience leading his national team surely will only aid in his development for the Trail Blazers.

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After the game, Avdija spoke to the Israeli media and had this to say about the encounter with the former NBA MVP.

“Giannis gave me very beautiful and moving compliments. Receiving compliments from a player like him is definitely exciting. Every player has his qualities. I still have the potential to be much better than I am, comparisons are irrelevant right now.”

There are some unique comparisons between the players. Each are versatile forwards with somewhat similar skill-sets. Although Antetokounmpo is on another level comparatively speking, Avdija has demonstrated some real promise with his ability to score in a myriad of ways.

Both coming over to the NBA from Europe as young players also resulted in a learning curve. It took time for Antetokounmpo to develop into the player he currently is. Similarly, Avdija needed to get out of Washington for his game to truly take off in the Pacific Northwest as a 24-year-old.

It will be fascinating to see how Avdija plays this upcoming season. He's coming off a year in which he averaged a career-high 16.9 points. Should he continue to see an uptick in his performance, the Blazers will have gotten a major steal. He's under contract for the next three seasons making roughly $13 million a year.

Avdija projects to start in the frontcourt alongside the defensive tandem of center Donovan Clingan and forward Toumani Camara. The addition of Jrue Holiday alongside either Shaedon Sharpe or Scoot Henderson should further unlock some scoring options for Avdija as well.

For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.