Getty Malcolm Brogdon
The regular season has ended for more than half of the NBA teams. With the draft taking place in a month and a half, teams will look for upgrades. Former Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon appears to be a potential target.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that teams are keeping their eyes on Brogdon.
“Malcolm Brogdon, one of Portland’s best 3-point shooters at 41.2 percent in 39 games last season, is a player rival executives are monitoring heading into the draft as a possible trade candidate. Brogdon is entering the final year of his contract at $22.5 million for the upcoming season,” Scotto wrote in a May 13 story.
Brogdon played for the Celtics during the 2022-23 season for the Celtics before they traded him to the Trail Blazers. Though he only played one season for the team, Brogdon won the Sixth Man of the Year.
The Trail Blazers elevated Brogdon to a starter’s role, starting 25 of the 39 games he played in. At the same time, that demonstrated Brogdon’s struggles with staying on the court. The 67 games he played with the Celtics in his one season in Boston was the second-highest number of games he’s played in a season.
The most he had ever played was 75 with the Milwaukee Bucks during his rookie season. Brogdon will enter the second-year of a two-year, $45 million contract.
Malcolm Brogdon Did Not Feel Valued in Boston
Despite going from a team vying to the finals to a rebuilding team, Brogdon explained why he didn’t feel appreciated with the Celtics.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Jason Quick, Brogdon revealed whether he felt undervalued in Boston.
“At times. At times,’’ Brogdon told Quick in a January 30 story. “I was there for a year, won Sixth Man of the Year, and they shipped me out. So like … I didn’t feel very valued there. Here, I feel valued. Portland has embraced me. And I’ve enjoyed being coached by Chauncey (Billups).’’
The Celtics initially almost traded Brogdon to the Los Angeles Clippers when they had a deal in place to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. While that trade fell through, which led to them trading Marcus Smart instead, the Celtics then traded him and Robert Williams III to acquire Jrue Holiday.
Jrue Holiday Proves His Worth Against Cavaliers
When they acquired Holiday, the Celtics traded away a malcontent in Brogdon while also acquiring a replacement for Marcus Smart. With their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers tied at 1-1 as they headed back to Cleveland.
In those two games, Holiday put up 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists on top of the defense he provided. In so doing, Holiday helped the Celtics gain a 3-1 advantage over the Cavaliers as the series heads back to Boston.
His performances illustrate why the Celtics gave up as much as they did to acquire him from Portland. Holiday may not necessarily be a go-to scorer, but he has proven how valuable he is as a complementary piece on the Celtics.
For that same reason, Holiday has also shown why the Celtics felt comfortable giving him a four-year, $135 million contract extension. The Celtics would have still been a contender had they kept Brogdon and Williams, but there’s no telling how dependable they would have been.