Malcolm Brogdon #7 formerly of the Indiana Pacers.
During his Media Day presser on September 26, Malcolm Brogdon revealed that he had been given multiple options for which team he wanted to be traded to before he picked the Boston Celtics as his next team, though he did not go into specifics regarding who also wanted him then.
Super impressed with Malcolm Brogdon’s mindset.
In an interview with SiriusXM – which was aggregated by MassLive’s Brian Robb – Brogdon revealed that the team who also vied for Brogdon’s services was the Celtics’ division rival, the Toronto Raptors.
“Toronto and Boston popped up. We had a choice to pursue — there wasn’t an offer on the table yet from either of them, but the Pacers came to me and said we could pursue either of them and (asked) which one would I rather pursue. I choose Boston.”
Brogdon then explained why he chose the Celtics over the Raptors.
“I thought this team was farther along,” Brogdon said. “They have a superstar in Jayson Tatum and probably another superstar in Jaylen Brown as well. I thought it would be a great fit for me because I wanted to win right now.”
Brogdon likely would have had a bigger role with the Raptors than he will have with the Celtics since the Raptors don’t have much guard depth outside of Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr.
However, given that the Celtics have experienced much more playoff success over the past three years – five playoff series wins, including an appearance in the NBA Finals – than the Raptors – one playoff series win – it’s clear Brogdon has prioritized winning over playing a bigger role at this stage in his career.
Brogdon Praised Marcus Smart’s Leadership
Ever since the Celtics acquired him, many have looked forward to seeing how he fits next to Marcus Smart. Brogdon’s pedigree as a guard has led to speculation that he may potentially usurp Smart as the team’s starting point guard.
Whether Brogdon pulls that off or not, he’s made it very clear that he values having Smart as a teammate for what he does for the team.
“He’s a great guy,” Brogdon said about Smart. “Always as spirited. Always as positive. Always willing to hold guys accountable. He’s the leader and the type of point guard you want for a team like this. To be able to work with him and play with him, it’s going to be great.”
“He’s the type of point guard you want for a team like this.”
– Malcolm Brogdon on his relationship with Marcus Smart
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While Smart remains their starting point guard, Brogdon is slated to come off the bench when the Celtics start their season against the Philadelphia 76ers. Regardless of who ends up where in the rotation, Smart and Brogdon are also expected to play plenty of minutes together this coming season.
Brogdon Sounds Off on Sacrifice
In an interview with Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Brogdon made it clear to the team that he’s willing to sacrifice on his end to help the team win.
“I wanted to send a message to the guys on this team that, regardless of what I was doing in Indiana, I’m willing to sacrifice to win to be a part of what you guys got going. It’s not about me. It’s about the team,” Brogdon told Forsberg. “So I wanted guys to know that openly and upfront, that I’m in it for the team, even if I play a smaller role here than I did wherever else I was.
After starting for the last three years for the Pacers, Brogdon has made it clear that he’s willing to come off the bench to help the Celtics win.
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Malcolm Brogdon Chose Celtics Over Rival Trade Suitor: Report