Wizards trade Deni Avdija to Trail Blazers, pick Alex Sarr with No. 2 pick

But the Wizards had already made it clear that they would not be settling for a regular night. Shortly before the draft began, they agreed to trade forward Denny Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers for veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th pick in the draft on Wednesday, and a first-round pick in the 2029 draft, according to two people. Those who have information about transactions. They selected 18-year-old guard Bub Carrington, a Baltimore native who had spent his freshman year in Pittsburgh, at No. 14 overall.

ESPN was the first to report the Avdija trade, which is in line with the Wizards’ big-picture goals as they enter the second year of a rebuild under their current front office: gathering trade capital and acquiring high lottery picks. Focus on preparing yourself for the upcoming draft. There is a lot of talent in the 2024 draft class, but none as attractive as Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick for next year, who is scheduled to attend Duke for the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Sarr — the second French player taken in the first round on Wednesday after Atlanta took Zackary Rissacher in the first round, and the second French player taken in a row by the Wizards after Bilal Koulibaly — is an excellent fit who will play in Washington. Looking forward to. A fluid big man with an all-around game, he is a talented shot-blocker with the ability to shoot from the perimeter and the maturity that comes from playing in Australia’s National Basketball League. He averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 17.2 minutes per game for Perth, the second-best record in the NBL.

Sarr will benefit not only from that professional experience but also from the wisdom he gained from his family. His father, Massar, played professionally in France, and his older brother, Olivier, has spent the last three years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was in the Thunder’s gym, working out with his brother, where Sir met Wizards general manager Will Dawkins, who had come to Washington from Oklahoma City the previous summer.

Between the Wizards’ need for a center after trading Daniel Gafford last winter and Sarr’s relationship with Dawkins, Washington seemed like a golden opportunity. Sarr said on a conference call Wednesday that the Wizards were the only team he worked out for before the draft. He spent the remaining two months of his preparation working out in Santa Barbara, California.

“I think it’s a really interesting team,” Saar said. “They’re really young right now, they’re rebuilding, they’re really moving in the right direction, and I think that’s exciting for any player to be a part of.”

Carrington is an offensive threat with a dangerous midrange jumper and a creative playmaking eye. The teen, who attended St. Francis Academy in Baltimore, averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists during her lone season in Pittsburgh, which also drafted WNBA rookie star Angel Reese.

The new Wizards have lowered the average age of the roster so much that Washington’s locker room is starting to feel like a sophomore seminar, which is exactly what the front office wants. Youth has only one meaning – flexibility.

Especially for Sarr, whose versatility and sky-high potential make him a standout, the Wizards will have options far and wide. Develop him into a star, and Sarr could shine in Washington for a long time. Or he could finally help Washington acquire a championship-caliber superstar.

The imminent arrival of Sarr and Carrington – as well as another potential addition with the No. 26 pick on Wednesday night – is something that could help soothe the pain of Avdija’s departure for fans. Secondly, Washington was able to flip the 23-year-old for two first-round picks.

The Israeli native had as close to a breakout season as one could have while playing for the second-worst team in the NBA, and ever since the organization drafted him ninth overall in 2020, he has found himself a favorite among the Wizards. Has become a favorite of fans.

He averaged a career-high 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, as the Wizards finished with a 15–67 record. And at just 23, he became the leader of the locker room with his honesty and sense of humor.

In Brogdon, the Wizards take on a 31-year-old guard entering the final year of a contract in which he is owed $22.5 million. A former standout at Virginia and taken in the second round of the 2016 draft, Brogdon averaged 15.7 points while shooting 44 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc in 28.7 minutes in 39 games for the Trail Blazers.