Potential Top-Five Pick Deni Avdija Declares for 2020 NBA Draft

Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija has declared for the 2020 NBA draft.

Potential top-five pick Deni Avdija has declared for the NBA draft.

Avdija appeared on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning and announced he has submitted his paperwork to the league office.

"The NBA is the best league in the world. There is a lot to learn over there and a lot of experience there," Avdija said, per ESPN. "It's going to be great to take my game to the next level."

The 19-year-old prospect plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague while averaging seven points, four rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19 minutes per game. He helped lead Israel to a gold medal last summer in the FIBA U20 European Championship, where he was named MVP. During the tournament, he averaged 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

The 6'9" forward is ranked as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft on Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo's big board. 

"Avdija’s playing time and production have been on the uptick at Maccabi, offering teams an easier feel for what he brings to the table," according to Woo. "His innate strengths—nice size, unselfish, crisp ball delivery, smart off-ball cuts, and solid team defense—are all winning-conducive, and there’s a chance he becomes a viable secondary ball-handler with continued growth. On the flip side, he’s likely going to be a real liability defending in isolation when opponents decide to pick on him."

The 2020 NBA draft will take place on June 25 and is scheduled to take place in Brooklyn. There's a chance that could change due to the coronavirus pandemic.