Malcolm Brogdon went from a key member to a championship-contending Boston Celtics team to playing an experienced veteran's role with the lowly Portland Trail Blazers squad --the youngest in the NBA last season. Now ready for new slate, a return to the Eastern Conference welcomes a new, but still daunting opportunity for the 31-year-old combo guard.
Brogdon didn't have any control when the Celtics traded him to Portland in exchange for Jrue Holiday, and after debuting with the Trail Blazers in 2023-24, the rewind button was pushed. Washington acquired Brogdon -- and four draft selections -- in exchange for Deni Avdija in July, placing the 2023 Sixth Man of the Year from the worst team in the West to the second-to-worst team in the East; slating Brogdon for another dud season despite proving that a title contender could use the nine-year veteran. Therefore, Brogdon's opening response to arriving in Washington was hard to take seriously.
"It's a team I've always wanted to put the jersey on for," Brogdon said about the Wizards at media day, per team-provided video. "So, I'm super excited to be here."
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Sure, Brogdon did mention the extended family ties made left him "super excited" for the opportunity to play for Washington, however, the Wizards mark the fourth organization Brogdon has joined in as many seasons. Boston provided a major upgrade from Indiana for Brogdon by allowing him to flourish as a crystal-clear component to a deep Celtics playoff run. Brogdon didn't start, but produced like a starter, averaging 14.9 points off the bench playing behind then-teammate Marcus Smart. It seemed like a picture-perfect match that took a sour turn once Brogdon's name surfaced in trade rumors, creating a presumably soiled relationship with Boston's front office and leading him to Portland's young and down-on-its-luck franchise.
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Brogdon averaged 15.7 points in 39 appearances (25 starts) before suffering a right elbow tendinitis injury which sidelined him for the remaining 33 games of Portland's season. Early on, it seemed as though Brogdon was poised to blossom as the team's leader by guiding the roster's youngsters and pulling off some surprising victories in the process, but ultimately going down injured did a number on Brogdon's bleak trade interest from contending organization's this past offseason.
"We had a very young team (in Portland) like this one," Brogdon said, per team-provided video. "A lot of young, really good athletes -- similar to this -- and we were playing really fast. And that was really my first taste of that really new-age, fast-paced basketball. It was an adjustment for me but I adjusted and got the hang of it so coming here, it won't be fresh for me. I would've had a little of experience having a year of it."
Featured image via Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images
