‘Safe bet’ Sixth Man of the Year and restricted free agent don’t return to Boston Celtics
It’s a “safe bet” that one of the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, or the top Boston Celtics restricted free agent, Grant Williams, won’t be returning to the team this offseason according to Inside The Celtics’ Bobby Krivitsky — but as he points out in the case of the latter, the chance for future assets is at least on the table.
“If the Celtics (are weary of the luxury tax), it’s a safe bet at least one of Williams and Malcolm Brogdon won’t be back for the coming campaign,” Krivitsky prefaced before saying, “But by making the former Tennessee Volunteer a restricted free agent, Boston can at least try to broker a sign-and-trade that would most likely create a traded player exception (TPE). But perhaps it gets them a player or draft capital.”
Brogdon’s contract was originally coveted by the Los Angeles Clippers before his physical scared the franchise away from wanting to acquire him. It could be possible that Boston will need to attach some of the draft capital acquired in the Marcus Smart-Kristaps Porzingis trade — the deal that happened instead after L.A. pulled its interest in Brogdon — to get off the 30-year-old floor general’s remaining two years and $45 million.
The Boston Celtics could do worse than being ‘stuck’ with Malcolm Brogdon’s deal
At this point, the only thing that can seemingly hold Brogdon back from becoming a coveted player and not someone the team is attempting to trade away after just one season is his durability, or in recent years, lack thereof. It cost him his production in the postseason, and in turn, his reputation with many fans starved for a repeat of the C’s 2021-22 season’s Eastern Conference championship victory.
If the Celtics end up “stuck” with Brogdon, the Cs would have a definitive top 1 option at point guard, since Derrick White is truly a natural 2 with enough playmaking abilities to start at the 1, and a proven second unit leader. Having his veteran savvy will help Payton Pritchard, someone who figures to finally break through the rotation again and can inherit opportunities on nights Brogdon doesn’t play, and would maintain a player who knows Joe Mazzulla’s offensive system well.