Trail Blazers Reveal Surprising Plan For Malcolm Brogdon After Celtics Trade

When the Trail Blazers acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Celtics on Sunday, most probably assumed the veteran guard wouldn't be in Portland for long.

Well, it turns out Brogdon might play out the season in Rose City.

The Blazers acquired Brogdon, Robert Williams III and two first-round draft picks from Boston in exchange for Holiday. After Portland landed Holiday from Milwaukee primarily as a trade asset, it was fair to expect the organization to take a similar approach with Brogdon, a savvy vet who potentially could garner interest from legitimate contenders.

But at Trail Blazers Media Day on Monday, general manager Joe Cronin revealed the team's somewhat surprising plan for last season's Sixth Man of the Year.

"We want to have Malcolm come here and be a part of this," Cronin told reporters, per Rose Garden Report's Sean Highkin. "He can bring some good on-court intangibles for us and also as a veteran, which is something we're going to need. We have a very young roster. I want to make sure there's enough veteran leadership around these guys."

It makes sense for Portland to want a veteran presence in its locker room, and Brogdon certainly could be a great mentor to the team's younger players. But after reaching the playoffs in five of his first seven NBA seasons, we're not sure how interested Brogdon would be in playing for a rebuilding franchise.

If the Blazers change course and make Brogdon available, a Western Conference counterpart could be interested in a deal.