CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Who is Deni Avdija?

That’s just one of the many questions NBA executives, including members of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ brain trust, are trying to answer ahead of the 2020 draft.

ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, a former college basketball coach for 23 years who now provides commentary on the draft and the FIBA World Cup, has been watching the Israeli swingman since Avdija was 16 years old. Even though Fraschilla wasn’t able to see Avdija, now 19, in person this season, he has watched every game, every minute, every shot on tape. He also has great insight on Avdija, the person, through a long relationship with Avdija’s agent Doug Neustadt.

“I think the biggest thing Deni brings is positional versatility on both ends of the floor,” Fraschilla said in a phone interview with cleveland.com. “He has good size, length and NBA athleticism at 6-9. He’s kind of a combo-forward who in my opinion can guard at least three spots -- 2, 3, and 4. At some point in his career, he’s going to be able to guard 5s. Call him a small-ball 4 or wing. I think that’s what he is.

"He’s a tough kid, smart, played at a high level long enough like a lot of guys that have come over from Europe -- (Luka) Doncic, (Ricky) Rubio, (Kristaps) Porzingis.

“He’s been a basketball … I don’t want to say prodigy in the way that Doncic was, because Doncic was Mozart. If Doncic was Mozart, this kid’s Elton John."

Because that superstar potential wasn’t immediately evident with Avdija, Fraschilla uses Dario Saric as a comparison. With a few differences, of course.

One is the position. Saric is more of a 4 while Avdija, bouncing between the 3 and 4, will likely get a bulk of his time on the perimeter.

Saric, the 12th pick of the 2014 draft, didn’t come to the NBA right away. He made his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-17, spending two-plus seasons with the Sixers before getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and, most recently, the Phoenix Suns. In 298 career NBA games, Saric is averaging 12.2 points on 43.7% from the field and 35.6% from 3-point range to go with 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

“By all accounts, Dario is a solid NBA player,” Fraschilla said. “Deni is probably a little more athletic, a little more offensive-minded in the open court, a little more perimeter-oriented. Dario at the same stage had a little more toughness, but that doesn’t mean Deni doesn’t have it. Starter. Probably going to be in the league a while. I wouldn’t necessarily want Deni handling the ball. He can definitely play in pick and roll, but I don’t see him as the point-forward that Doncic is.”

Man of mystery

Like most of the prospects, the Avdija evaluation is tricky. Along with being a prominent member of the senior Israeli National Team, Avdija plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv.

In the Israeli Premier League, Avdija has a more pronounced role, given more freedom and playing time. Before the coronavirus pandemic halted play, Avdija was averaging 12.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.6 minutes while making nine starts.

In the EuroLeague, against much stiffer competition in a league littered with former NBA players and international veterans, Avdija was averaging just 4.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.3 minutes.

That notable discrepancy has led to more mystery. Why doesn’t Avdija get more time in the EuroLeague? Why is the coaching staff hesitant to give him a prominent role? Is that a bad sign?

“Maccabi is so good in the Israeli League that they can afford to rest some of their stars to have them more ready for the EuroLeague game that week,” Fraschilla said. “It would not be unlike (Ohio State head coach) Chris Holtmann playing a young freshman way more minutes against Akron and St. Bonaventure than he would against Michigan and Michigan State, only at a much higher level because these guys Deni is playing against are professionals.”

Fraschilla uses a baseball comparison when trying to explain the differences.

“The EuroLeague is like Triple A baseball and college basketball is like Double A baseball,” he said. “The Israeli League is still better than college basketball because it’s got older guys and Americans who were stars in college, but it’s not the level of the EuroLeague.

“He’s more of a role player in the EuroLeague. Playing there will speed up his development, no doubt, but he doesn’t have the role in the EuroLeague that Doncic did when he just dominated that league. If Deni is holding his own it’s a good sign. He’s coming over thinking he is already good enough to help and play in the NBA. He has an edge to him, a confidence level, a swag if you will.”

To further Fraschilla’s point, Maccabi’s roster features seven-year NBA veteran Quincy Acy, former first-round pick Omri Casspi and EuroCup MVP Scottie Wilbekin. Avdija has also played against former NBA guys Shane Larkin, Nikola Mirotic, Nick Calathes, Anthony Randolph, Greg Monroe, Derrick Williams and countless others.

“Deni has had a good group of professional players who have already shown him the way, shown him how to be a pro,” Fraschilla said. “More often than not, you’re talking about a kid who is more mature than the average 19-year-old player because the educational system is better, he’s been around adults and been groomed to be a professional, which he has been since he was 16 years old. He’s been schooled, bred and coached to be a basketball player.

“It eliminates one of the red flags when you’re drafting a player who is so young. International kids, by and large, they are good guys, great teammates and have a great work ethic. And they normally don’t come out of entitlement culture. That is the advantage when you get a kid like Deni who has been around adults for the last three seasons."

Lock for lottery pick

At one point, Fraschilla -- an international hoops aficionado with connections all around the world -- viewed Avdija as a borderline lottery selection.

That was a few years ago, before the swingman dominated the Under-20s last summer. Avdija led the junior Israeli National Team to a gold medal while earning MVP honors thanks to a pair of monstrous all-around performances against France and Spain.

That showing, combined with the myriad questions about the other top prospects and Avdija’s improved play, helped push him up the draft board. He’s solidified his spot as the best international prospect.

“I think he is. There’s debate between him and Killian Hayes right now,” Fraschilla said. “It’s a big year for international prospects, especially if you count (LaMelo) Ball and (RJ) Hampton going over to Australia. I think LaMelo might have more talent than most of these guys, but as far as the ones born outside the United States, it’s my feeling that Deni will be the first international kid picked."

What about the top tier, alongside Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and Ball? Does Avdija belong in that group?

“I think so,” Fraschilla said. “The reason he does is because in this particular draft, there is more detective work that is going to go on in the next few months than ever before. There’s going to be less access to the top players. This year, the controllables are much more important because the information flow between the teams and prospects is going to be limited because there may be no combine, no interviews, not sure how the workouts will be setup. There are some players in the top echelon that there are going to be questions about, not only on the court but off the court as well.

“The guys who will rise are guys like Isaac Okoro, (Onyeka) Okongwu from USC, Deni, Tyrese Haliburton, these are kids who seemingly have very few, if any, red flags off the court. Guys who are going to come in and be a great teammate, hard worker and have a lot of upside potential because of age, I think they will get the benefit of the doubt in this draft. I think, given what we know about Deni, he will get the benefit of the doubt."

Cavaliers did early research

The Cavs don’t know where they will be picking. They currently have the NBA’s second-worst record, giving them a 14% chance at the top pick. Avdija is one of many players on their radar.

General manager Koby Altman made a trip overseas to watch Avdija in November. He went to Tel Aviv once again in late February/early March to gather more intel, meeting up with assistant GM Mike Gansey who watched Avdija three separate times during an extensive international journey that lasted about two weeks. It was Gansey’s latest look, as he also saw Avdija on an April 2019 scouting trip.

During one of Gansey’s in-person visits, he saw Avdija pour in 21 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists in a win against Romania. Director of scouting Brandon Weems made it overseas earlier this season as well.

So, while most front offices typically go to Europe in April, following the NCAA Tournament, to crosscheck their scouting reports, the Cavs have already done plenty of homework.

“He’s a 6-9 playmaker who does a little bit of everything,” an NBA executive told cleveland.com. “The kid loves the game. He works hard and is a perfectionist. The shooting piece, though, is a major concern.”

In the I-BSL, Avdija is hitting 55.5% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range and 50.9% from the free throw line. In the EuroLeague, those numbers drop to 43.6% shooting, 27.7% from beyond the arc and 55.6% from the foul line.

“It’s an area that definitely needs improvement,” Fraschilla said. “That would hold him back from being a guy that can be an above average NBA player in time. But I think it’s fixable. I’ve seen subtle adjustments, and it’s not a broken shot. There are some shots I see that are going to be hard to fix because of muscle memory. This is not requiring a major fix, but it is a concern until it becomes more consistent. That’s going to be the one area that will take him up a whole ‘nother level.”

Fraschilla didn’t want to play Shot Doctor from afar. He thinks NBA teams will recognize the issue quickly and make the necessary tweak.

However, other Avdija observers will point to his guide hand, which sits on top of the ball instead of the side. That can cause friction with his follow through, leading to inconsistency. It’s one of the weaknesses that could give teams pause at the top of the draft. Still, taking into account the full package, Avdija is an intriguing option, especially for the wing-needy Cavs.

“I see him as a solid starter and maybe a high-level starter someday," Fraschilla said. "In this draft, with the mystery, if you can get a winning starter, a playoff-team starter, that’s great. And eventually, yes, I do see that potential. But I don’t see All-Star initially.

“This is a unique draft. Anybody who has it figured out already is lying. There’s no consensus first pick. There’s no consensus top 5 yet. Anything from like No. 6 on down, it’s a total crapshoot.

"But I do think, when you look at Deni’s combination of size, athleticism, age, mental and physical maturity, he’s as good of a bet as you can get in the top eight picks.”

Buy Cavs gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids

More Cavaliers coverage

NBA Finals 2016 Game 7 rewatch: Live observations and analysis

Cavaliers’ Kevin Love wants NBA schedule to remain the same when restarted

Beginning the “Top 5” series with Cavaliers players and sports movies: Wine and Gold Talk Podcast

Turn your child into a sports columnist -- kids, send hot takes on the Browns, Buckeyes, Indians and Cavs

Andre Drummond to represent Cleveland Cavaliers in ‘Players-Only’ NBA 2K Tournament

Cleveland, this is for you: ESPN to re-air 2016 NBA Finals games

Cavs, media team up for coronavirus telethon

J.B. Bickerstaff hoping to finish regular season, staying in contact with Cavaliers during shutdown

Lindsay Gottlieb: Trailblazer, role model and Cleveland Cavaliers ‘badass’