In the 2022-23 season, Malcolm Brogdon, then of the Boston Celtics, was named Sixth Man of the Year. In 67 games (all coming off the bench), he went on to average 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. That season, his Celtics entered the Eastern Conference Finals as heavy favorites over the Miami Heat. Instead they lost the first three games of the series before evening it up by winning the next three. Boston lost Game 7 though. It was the fifth time in seven seasons that they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. They advanced to the NBA Finals once in that time (2022) where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Unable to make that last step to win a championship, the team decided to make some changes last offseason. That included a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers that involved trading Brogdon in order to add Jrue Holiday.
Portland Could Make Former Sixth Man Winner Available in Trade
Could Brogdon be Traded in the Offseason?
The 31-year-old Malcolm Brogdon went from one of the best teams in the Celtics to one that didn’t come come close to sniffing the playoffs in the Trail Blazers.
Brogdon wasn’t able to stay healthy as an elbow injury helped cause him to appear in only 39 games. The eighth-year pro last played on February 2. Playing 28.7 minutes per contest this season, Brogdon posted averages of 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. The 6-4 guard shot 44.0% from the field, 41.2% from three-point territory, and 81.9% from the free throw line.
It could be the only season that Brogdon plays for Portland. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, rival executives are viewing Brogdon as a potential trade candidate. He has one year remaining on his deal at $22.5 million.
Rival executives are monitoring the potential availability of Malcolm Brogdon leading up to the draft, per @MikeAScotto (https://t.co/JlI0yAgkAb).
With Portland’s young guards, Brogdon would likely fetch them another first-round pick from a contender if he’s made available. pic.twitter.com/qCPb9jAxcM
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 13, 2024
The Trail Blazers finished the season with a putrid 21-61 record. With many young wing players including Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons, they could find it in their best interest to see what they can get for Brogdon.
Successful Career Thus Far For Brogdon
It is safe to say that Brogdon has overachieved, at least when looking at when he was drafted. The Milwaukee Bucks selected Brogdon in the second round (36th overall) in the 2016 NBA Draft. While not quite at the level of three-time MVP, Brogdon has been one of the more productive second round picks.
Not only did he win Sixth Man of the Year, but Brogdon was also named Rookie of the Year in 2016-17. He spent his first three seasons with the Bucks, then played three with the Indiana Pacers, and now one apiece with the Celtics and the Trail Blazers. In 439 career games (283 starts), Brogdon has posted per game averages of 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He owns shooting splits of .464/.391/.873.
In what doesn’t look to be a strong class of free agent guards, there will likely be suitors for Brogdon if made available by Portland.
