The Boston Celtics had a trade in place this past summer to deal guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team trade in which Kristaps Porzingis would have headed to Boston.
While Porzingis ended up making his way to the Celtics in a different trade with the Washington Wizards, Brogdon remains with his current team. The Clippers were reportedly concerned about Brogdon’s injury history.
It’s likely going to lead to an awkward situation when training camp opens later this month.
“Malcolm is the one I’m concerned about, because we’ve heard nothing and he’s angry with the team. So I don’t think communication between the two sides has been fruitful,” The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn noted recently.
The Celtics’ insider went on to note that Brogdon has not spoken since the initial trade to Southern California fell through. “He was pissed,” Washburn said.
Heading into the 2023-24 season with championship aspirations after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals last spring, Boston doesn’t need the drama that would come with a disgruntled star.
It was around this time last year that then-Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022-23 campaign after allegedly having an inappropriate workplace relationship with a co-worker. Joe Mazzulla ended up coaching pretty well with Udoka suspended, but the drama that started last season was a major backstory.
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Will the Boston Celtics trade Malcolm Brogdon?
In short, it’s highly unlikely. Boston dealt away starting point guard Marcus Smart as part of the aforementioned Porzingis trade. It needs the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year to play a big role during the 2023-24 season.
Brogdon, 30, had a down past season from a scoring standpoint (by his standards). He averaged 14.9 points compared to 19.1 in the guard’s final season with the Indiana Pacers. However, he did shoot a solid 44% from three-point range and saw his effective field goal percentage jump from .501 to .574.
Now set to take on a larger role with Boston this season, it will be interesting to see how he responds to nearly being traded during the summer. For now, it’s apparent that Brogdon is not a happy camper.