Avdija finishes third in NBA most improved player race
Behind him, Neemias Queta of the Boston Celtics finished fourth, followed by Ryan Rollins of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jalen Johnson of Atlanta
Israeli forward Deni Avdija finished third in the voting for the NBA Most Improved Player award, highlighting his strong development this season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The award went to Canadian guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, who becomes the second consecutive player from the Atlanta Hawks to receive the honor. He also joins a rare group as only the third player in history to win the award in his seventh season or later, following Julius Randle and Hedo Turkoglu.
Voting was conducted by an international panel of 100 journalists and analysts, and Alexander-Walker led comfortably with 66 first-place votes and 396 total points. He finished ahead of Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons, who placed second with 254 points.
Avdija secured third place with 135 points, including seven first-place votes. His season was defined by consistent improvement on both ends of the floor, emerging as a key contributor for Portland.
Behind him, Neemias Queta of the Boston Celtics finished fourth, followed by Ryan Rollins of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jalen Johnson of Atlanta.
This third-place finish confirms Avdija’s steady rise and cements his status as an increasingly influential presence in the NBA.