If Thursday morning’s Malcolm Brogdon report from Brian Windhorst is true, it’s very easy to understand why the Clippers wanted no part of a proposed three-team deal with the Celtics and Wizards.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania on late Wednesday afternoon reported Boston, Los Angeles and Washington were “closing in” on a blockbuster deal that would bring Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics and Brogdon to the Clippers, among other ramifications. But within a few hours of midnight, the trio of teams reportedly stopped discussing the potential trade. The reported main reason for the stop sign was LA’s concerns with Brogdon’s injury status.
During appearance on the latest episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Windhorst explained why the Clippers were so adamant about taking a step back.
“Brogdon has a health issue, a health issue that, as I understand, is so significant that not only can the Celtics not do this trade, there’s probably no Malcolm Brogdon trade that they can do in the short term,” Windhorst said, as transcribed by the NBACentral Twitter account.
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With LA out of the mix, the Celtics were forced to find a replacement with little time to spare before Porzingis’ player option deadline passed. Boston ultimately beat the buzzer by looping in the Memphis Grizzlies, who reportedly gave up Tyus Jones and two first-round picks to acquire Marcus Smart.
As for Brogdon, it sure sounds like he’s bound for another season in Boston, even if the organization would prefer otherwise.
Featured image via Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports Images
