The Portland Trail Blazers have traded guard Malcolm Brogdon and the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, which started Wednesday, to the Washington Wizards for forward Deni Avdija, an NBA source has confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who says the Blazers will send the second most favorable of their 2029 first-round picks along with two second-round picks as part of the deal as well.

The trade will be officially announced once it is finalized. The Blazers selected Pittsburgh guard Bub Carrington with the No. 14 pick.

The Wizards selected the 6-foot-9 Avdija with the ninth pick in the 2020 draft. In his first three seasons, he mostly played a reserve role. Avdija averaged 8.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game, shooting 43.1% from the field and 31% from three-point range.

Last season, Avdija, 23, started all 75 games he appeared in. He played 30.1 minutes per game and averaged 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. His shooting percentages jumped to 50.6% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc, albeit on just 3.1 attempts per game.

Over his final 27 games of the season, Avdija averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 50.7% from the field and 36.6% on threes.

Avdija fills an obvious need for the Blazers. He could slide right into the starting lineup at power forward, with Jerami Grant moving to small forward should he not get traded this offseason.

Avdija’s biggest question mark is on defense. Last season, he had a 116.2 defensive rating alongside his 109.7 offensive rating for a net of minus-6.5. The Wizards went 16-67 last season.

Where Avdija isn’t lacking, according to an NBA source, is competitiveness and toughness. He is viewed as someone who has yet to reach his full potential. Plus, he has a team-friendly contract. Avdija signed a four-year contract extension worth $55 million last October.

Brogdon’s run with the franchise lasted one season and consisted of 39 appearances before an elbow injury shut him down. The Blazers, who went 21-61 last season, were 15-24 with Brogdon in the lineup.

The Blazers acquired Brogdon from Boston in the flurry of trades that ended with Damian Lillard in Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday with the Celtics.

Brogdon averaged 15.7 points and 5.5 assists in just 28.7 minutes per game with the Blazers. He shot 44% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc.

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)