Deni Avdija (back) did not receive clearance from the Trail Blazers to play for Israel in the country’s recent FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Israel had already been eliminated from contention for a FIBA World Cup spot, but there was still hope that Avdija would play in the nation’s most recent qualifiers. However, according to him, the Trail Blazers did not clear him to play because of the back injury he initially suffered in mid-January. Avdija said via social media that, while he wanted to play, the Trail Blazers weren’t willing to take that risk. With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant entering the rotation, Avdija’s usage is likely to take a hit in 2026-27. Hopefully, Portland’s decision to keep him out of FIBA qualifier competition was more precautionary than anything else. - Raphielle Johnson