Deni Avdija is one of the bright young stars coming up in the NBA, but his rookie season appears to be over after he sustained a serious right leg injury against the Warriors on Wednesday night.
Late in the first half, the Washington Wizards' wing came down awkwardly after having a layup blocked by Kent Bazemore.
Avdija's right foot appears to bend backwards under the weight of his body. He was in immediate pain and former Warriors center Jordan Bell, who now plays for the Wizards, quickly put a towel over Avdija's right leg.
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Avdija, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, was taken to the Wizards' locker room in a wheelchair.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, citing sources, that X-rays revealed a hairline fracture and that Avdija's season is over.
While the Warriors ultimately drafted center James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall draft pick, they were linked to Avdija on several occasions and the two sides even met in person before the draft last November.
The 20-year-old Avdija, who hails from Israel, entered Wednesday's game averaging 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 53 games. He finished the game against the Warriors with six points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.
Golden State Warriors
Hopefully, for the Wizards and the NBA, Avdija's injury isn't as serious as it looked.