Danny Avdia needs to be shut down by the Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers were watching Danny Avdia quickly rise to the star in just under two years in his program. Now it’s time to do what he needs and protect him from himself.

Avdija had a fantastic season for the Blazers, earning his first All-Star selection while setting career records. In those first 40 games, Danny Avdia averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three.

But the Trail Blazers are ahead suffered a back injury in the team’s road loss at home against the New York Knicks on Jan. 11. It was a game in which he played just over 38 minutes, but he admitted after the game that he might have to miss some time.

Avdia missed three games before returning and playing well in a win against the Sacramento Kings, posting 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the win. But the back injury flared up again four days later in the team’s next game against the Miami Heat. Avdija played only 17 minutes before leaving and never returning.

That started a period of 18 games in which Avdija played only eight gamesand no more than two complete games in a row, if that.

Coming off the All-Star break, Danny Awdia played 30 minutes in a 54-point loss to the Nuggets and looked good despite the unfortunate nature of the game. But just 59 seconds into Portland’s contest against the Phoenix Suns, Avdija cautiously approached the bench to ask to be sent off after attempting a post-up and didn’t come back with another back kick.

Just a minute into the game and Danny Avdija goes to the dressing room due to a lower back injury (with replay)

I have also included the theater pieces in which he has previously included him#RipCity

A minute into the game and Danni Avdia goes to the dressing room because of a lower back injury

He’s really starting to worry.

including… pic.twitter.com/kuMipKDl9p

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 23, 2026

Acting head coach Tiago Splitter talked about Avdia’s injury after the game and how the team rallied to beat the Suns despite playing without their leading ball handler and playmaker.

Danny, as I said, was questionable, he felt good before the game. – said Splitter. “His back just … He felt it again, we lost him and it’s not easy. The team had to kind of figure it out offensively, but I think defensively, everybody stepped up and did an amazing job.”

Splitter also mentioned that the Trail Blazers could explore the possibility of sitting out longer as they dig deeper into the root of his recurring back injuries.

“Well, I’m not a doctor, but yeah,” Splitter said when asked about the possibility of Danny Avdia being fired. “I have to probably see what’s going on and take a deep dive to see what’s really going on.”

At this stage, the Portland Trail Blazers should do right by Avdia and have him sit until his back is as close to 100 percent as possible. He’s already scheduled to miss Tuesday night’s game against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, but should be on the bench for a significant amount of time to allow his back to heal.

The problem is that the Trail Blazers are in desperate need of their All-Star forward as they continue to battle the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers for a playoff spot.

Entering Tuesday night, the seventh-seeded Suns have a one-game advantage against the Blazers and the Warriors have a 2.5-game lead. Meanwhile, the Clippers sit just half a game behind Portland in the standings.

In addition, Danny Avdia’s Trail Blazers lost the season series against the Suns, 2-1, won the season series against the Warriors, 3-1, and fell behind in the season series against the Clippers, 2-0, with the last two games remaining in the final three weeks of the season.