NBA Notes: Blazers, Deni Avdija, layoffs, Heat, draft, Wolves

Trail Blazers

At least one thing seems pretty clear in Portland.

Deni Avdija looks like a foundational piece moving forward.

The 25-year-old forward quietly put together a breakout season for the Blazers, evolving into an All-Star caliber point forward despite operating in one of the league’s worst spacing environments.

That part especially impressed scouts around the NBA.

According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, Avdija firmly established himself as one of the franchise’s long-term cornerstones this season.

There are still questions about whether he’s ultimately best suited as a high-end No. 2 option rather than the top player on a contender, but his overall growth was undeniable.

Avdija, meanwhile, already sounds focused on what comes next.

“A lot of teams are going to prepare and they know me right now,” he said. “I need to learn how to drive both ways, be a better defender, a better leader.”

That’s probably encouraging for Portland considering how much uncertainty surrounds almost everything else in the organization right now.

And yes, the upheaval continues.

According to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report, longtime scout and WNBA legend Tina Thompson was among the latest organizational layoffs under new owner Tom Dundon.

Highkin noted Thompson had been especially close with Damian Lillard over the years.

Heat

The Heat own the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft and, unsurprisingly, they sound prepared for just about anything.

Miami has a strong history in that range, having previously landed Tyler Herro at No. 13 and Bam Adebayo one pick later at No. 14.

Vice president of basketball operations Adam Simon said the process becomes more targeted once teams know their draft slot.

“I think you’re just zooming in on your range,” Simon said, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

The Heat are also reportedly open to trading the pick, although league rules would prevent that from officially happening until draft night because Miami already owes future first-round draft obligations elsewhere.

Timberwolves

President of basketball operations Tim Connelly made sure to publicly give credit to coach Chris Finch after the Timberwolves’ season came to an end.

“He was masterful, I think, in the Denver series. We’re not here without Finchy,” Connelly told reporters. “The playoff success we’ve had. I’m just thankful that he’s a partner and thankful that he’s our head coach.”

The Timberwolves ultimately fell short of their bigger goals after another second-round exit, but internally, there still appears to be strong belief in Finch as the coach capable of eventually getting them deeper into the postseason.