Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Deni Avdija is a 6-foot-9 versatile forward out of Israel, set to be the nation’s first lottery pick in NBA history. He is just 19 years old and was recently named the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship MVP after he led Israel to a Gold Medal.
Avdija has good playmaking skills and is arguably one of the better passers (amongst frontcourt players) that will emerge in this draft. Avdija has a knack of finding open lanes to the basket. He’s long and knows how to use his length.
There are concerns about his 3-point shooting (he only shot 28 percent from deep this past season), but it was a small sample size (1.8 attempts per contest). He’ll likely have to improve his overall speed and quickness as soon as he steps on an NBA floor, but under the right coaching and tutelage, there’s no question that Avdija could emerge as a force in the league.
If the Bulls are looking for versatility and a high ceiling, there might not be a better prospect to take a chance on at No. 4 overall than Deni Avdija.