Why Malcolm Brogdon’s Resentment For Celtics Isn’t Warranted

The aftermath of Malcolm Brogdon’s lone season with the Boston Celtics left a bad taste in the now-Portland Trail Blazers guard’s mouth. But why?

Upon Brogdon’s arrival to Boston from the Indiana Pacers in the summer of 2022 came a series of challenges. Would he be able to handle the inherited title expectations? Could he fill a much-needed back-court role off the bench? Would there be any in-house conflict playing alongside guards Marcus Smart and Derrick White? Brogdon checked all the boxes with no red flags.

Accepting a semi-backseat role, Brogdon still averaged 14.9 points with 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists as the reserve unit general. That’s solid production coming off the bench, although playing 26 minutes a night made Brogdon more of an unofficial sixth starter — similar to Al Horford’s current role.

That production and ability to work around the circumstances of Boston’s plan with an invested team-first mentality earned Brogdon NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors. He became the first Celtic to win the award since Bill Walton in 1986, and just the third in franchise history.

Yet, the good vibrations of Brogdon’s debut run with the C’s came to a crashing ending, and the 31-year-old doesn’t understand why.

“I was there for a year, won Sixth Man of the Year, and they shipped me out. So like … I didn’t feel very valued there,” Brogdon told Jason Quick of The Athletic. “Here, I feel valued. Portland has embraced me. And I’ve enjoyed being coached by Chauncey (Billups).”

Brogdon added: “I’m happy here. I’m valued here. Valued in this leadership/lead-guard role. And I can’t complain with that. I’m happy in Portland.”

Considering what Brogdon did in just one season with Boston, getting tossed in the middle of trade rumors can be frustrating, sure. That’s the reality most non-franchise star athletes live with. However, from the organization’s perspective, the untouchables list was very slim — as it should’ve been.

Aside from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, nobody was above being traded last offseason from the Celtics. The team, once again, failed to live up to its hype and abused a golden ticket-like opportunity to trample a Miami team that barely snuck into the playoffs, and return to the Finals for a second straight time.

Instead, the Heat took a commanding 3-0 series lead, then coughed up three straight before embarrassing the Celtics in Game 7 in front of Boston’s home crowd. It was clear something needed to change, and Brogdon happened to join the stockpile of sacrificial lambs that needed to be traded for the betterment of the team.

It’s not like that was exclusive to Brogdon, either.

Brogdon spent one season with the Celtics. Yes, it was a notable debut, but a single season isn’t enough to grandfather your way into untouchable territory when the front office phones start ringing. If Boston’s latest offseason proved anything, it was that very few names weren’t on the discussion table.

Marcus Smart, a fan favorite and the heart and soul of the Celtics, was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, ending a nine-year stint with Boston. Robert Williams III, another favorite among Green Teamers, was traded with Brogdon to Portland — giving the Celtics a combined package of current starters Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

Passing up on that kind of roster transformation would’ve been a colossal mistake from president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.

Instead, the proof is in the pudding and the verdict is in: The Celtics made zero regrettable moves in the offseason and pushed all the right buttons.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who’s also improved respectively from the sidelines, now has a cleaner, more efficient lineup that feeds off each other on both ends of the floor. White and Holiday have become the best defensive backcourt tandem in the NBA, ranked first and third in blocks among all point guards. Porzingis is the best No. 3 option any team has to offer, and Tatum and Brown have grown as facilitators, both sacrificing their stat lines to share the spotlight and get Boston to an NBA-best 37-11 record.

There wasn’t much Brogdon could’ve done to prevent any of this, and that’s fine. He did his part and fulfilled his role, but in the end, there was a greener pasture to be discovered and the Celtics didn’t stand pat.

So far, the message sent from the organization has been received, and the pendulum has only swung Boston’s way 48 games in.