NBA Draft 2020: Mock Draft 2.0
3. player. 69. . Wing / Maccabi Tel Aviv. New Orleans Pelicans. Deni Avdija
The Pelicans luck out for the second consecutive summer. Despite a late-season surge upon Zion Williamson‘s arrival, they end up with a top-three selection. New Orleans has a fairly deep rotation at the moment, and playoff aspirations are on the horizon. It makes sense to pick the most NBA-ready talent.
Enter Deni Avdija, who has contributed in a legitimate capacity to an elite European club. While far from perfect as a prospect, Avdija harbors a lot of traits the NBA presently deems valuable. He’s 6-foot-8 and fairly mobile on defense. He’s an elite wing playmaker, he can swap between positions, and he’s a versatile scorer.
Avdija isn’t ready to operate as the primary star, partially due to his athletic limitations. He wouldn’t need to, however, in New Orleans, where Williamson is a budding superstar. Not to mention Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday, who are a more-than-apt playmaking engine on their own. Avdija would be asked to fit in, not stand out, which could do him good.