Boston Celtics predicted to trade key rotation piece this summer

After what was a disappointing end to a promising season, the Boston Celtics have been left with quite the dilemma. As they move forward, they’ll have to decide whether or not they want to keep the team’s nucleus together.

If the Celtics were to move in the direction of reshaping the roster, The Athletic’s Jay King predicts that the most likely avenue would be to move on from Malcolm Brogdon, who the C’s traded for last summer.

“The Celtics would still miss Brogdon, but he should have value around the league after staying healthy through most of a productive season,” King wrote. “It could be helpful to move off his contract, which still includes two more years at $22.5 million per season. They could do it as a salary dump of sorts to position themselves better for the impact of the new collective bargaining agreement or as a trade piece to acquire a different type of player.”

Should the Boston Celtics look to trade Malcolm Brogdon?

Since debuting for the Celtics last fall, Brogdon was able to make an impact offensively off the bench. Of course, he was recognized for doing so as he took home the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

He appeared in 67 games for the Cs, the most since his rookie season in 2016-17, playing about 26 minutes each time. The 30-year-old averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.

With all of that being said, his struggles throughout the playoffs left a sour taste in the mouths of Boston’s fans. His scoring average dropped to 11.9 points per game and his efficiency took a dip as well.

Ironically, a season where Brogdon was praised for being as healthy as he ever has been ended with him suffering a forearm strain in the Eastern Conference Finals, leaving him unplayable against the Miami Heat.

So, Boston is in a weird spot with him. They’d be selling high off of an award-winning regular season, but also selling low after he took a step backward in the postseason.

King is right though, Brogdon’s $22.5 million salary would make it so the Celtics could land a respectable return in a trade. Plus, their backcourt depth is just fine with both Marcus Smart and Derrick White coming back next season.

What could the Boston Celtics get for Malcolm Brogdon in a trade?

So, what sort of return could the Celtics actually get for Brogdon?

Well at first glance, there aren’t a ton of teams that seem like they’d have a need for more guard depth. A few that do come to mind are the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, and Chicago Bulls.

Phoenix is in a strange situation when it comes to making the trade finances work. They either have guys making a ton of money — too much for Boston to take on in trade for Brogdon — or making next-to-nothing, leaving the Cs perhaps feeling ripped off in a deal.

The Clippers do have a few contracts that could work. Of those, the most interesting is Norman Powell, a guy who’s made a name for himself by providing a scoring punch off the bench, much like Boston’s No. 13 did this year. Powell, 30, averaged 17 points per game for the Clippers this year while knocking down 47.9% of his attempts from the floor and 39.7% of those from deep.

Finally, if the Cs were to look to Chicago, a team left with a gap at point guard due to Lonzo Ball’s lingering knee issue. A deal with the Bulls could net Boston Alex Caruso, who was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First-Team this season. He’d likely fit in well with the C’s giving them good energy off of the bench and of course, playing defense.