Trade Proposal Lands Mavs Former Rookie of the Year & Sixth Man of the Year

Getty Mavericks star Luka Doncic and head coach Jason Kidd

A new trade proposal would land the Dallas Mavericks a former Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.

Jason Ounpraseuth of NESN proposed that the Mavericks acquire Malcolm Brogdon from the Boston Celtics for Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock.

“What became clear in the postseason is the Celtics didn’t need three players who have similar skill sets,” Ounpraseuth wrote. “Derrick White has proven he is a key asset that fits well with Jayston Tatum and Jaylen Brown. If Marcus Smart is just too valuable to the team for his intangibles and status as a core leader, that leaves Brogdon as the odd man out. The seventh-year guard has yet to prove he can play a full season without an injury, which hampered Boston in the final games of the Eastern Conference finals. The stability he brought off the bench was key for the Celtics, but it’s not worth that much to make him untouchable.

“Brogdon played for Jason Kidd in his early years with the Milwaukee Bucks, and if the Dallas Mavericks aren’t able to retain Kyrie Irving in free agency, then Brogdon would be a solid consolation to pair with Luka Doncic. The Celtics can trade Brogdon for Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock. The pair would be solid contributors off the bench, and the latter would serve as a nice fit on the wings for Tatum and Brown drives.”

Brogdon won the Sixth Man of the Year Award this season. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 67 games while shooting 48.4% from the field, 44.4% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free-throw line.

The 2016-17 Rookie of the Year, Brogdon signed a two-year, $85 million contract extension with the Indiana Pacers in October 2021. He’ll make $22.5 million next season.

Malcolm Brogdon May Need Surgery This Summer

Brogdon may need surgery this summer, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. The guard has a partial tear in the tendon coming out of his right elbow that leads into his forearm.

“Malcolm Brogdon has been playing through a partial tear in the tendon coming out of his right elbow that leads into his forearm, team sources told The Athletic,” Weiss wrote. “Brogdon suffered the injury in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, according to the sources, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record. The Celtics guard was initially dealing with golfer’s elbow soreness during the second-round series against Philadelphia, but an MRI after Game 1 against the Heat determined he exacerbated the injury by tearing the tendon in boxing out Miami Heat big Kevin Love midway through the first quarter.

“He is expected to evaluate whether he will need surgery after the season, according to team sources.”

Brogdon really struggled after suffering his injury in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. The 30-year-old averaged just 3.0 points while shooting 20.0% from the field and 7.1% from 3-point land from Games 2 through 7.

The Celtics, who made it all the way to the NBA Finals last year, lost to the Heat in the conference finals in seven games.

LeBron James Is Not Coming to Dallas

LeBron James is not leaving the Los Angeles Lakers for the Mavericks, according to Bill Rieter of CBS Sports.

Kyrie Irving recruiting James to Dallas and LeBron making it known that he wants to play with Uncle Drew again is a leverage tactic.

“LeBron’s not going to Dallas,” one source told Rieter. “That doesn’t even make sense. This is about Kyrie telling (Lakers general manager) Rob (Pelinka) that he’s not taking a discount. And about LeBron trying to create some leverage.”