Malcolm Brogdon Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics, Clippers, Wizards Nearing Deal Involving Porzingis, Brogdon

June 21st, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

3:49pm: The three teams are closing in on an agreement, reports Charania (Twitter link). According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), negotiations on the deal are “nearing the final stages.”

The Wizards are expected to receive the No. 30 pick in Thursday’s draft from the Clippers as part of the potential trade, Charania adds (via Twitter). Amir Coffey would also be sent from L.A. to D.C., according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who cautions (via Twitter) that there’s more work to do to complete an agreement.

2:34pm: There’s a “high possibility” of the three-team deal getting done, per Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. The Athletic’s duo adds that Gallinari would likely be involved in the trade, since Boston needs to send out additional salary. Gallinari would head to Washington, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

1:55pm: The Celtics, Wizards, and Clippers are engaged in serious talks about a possible three-way trade that would send Porzingis to Boston, Brogdon to Los Angeles, and Marcus Morris and draft compensation to Washington, reports Charania (Twitter link).

More pieces would need to be included and it remains to be seen whether Porzingis will opt in, so nothing’s done yet. However, the framework makes some sense for all three teams, including the Clippers, who have been on the lookout for backcourt help.

1:18pm: The Celtics have interest in acquiring big man Kristaps Porzingis and are talking to the Wizards about a possible trade that would involve Porzingis picking up his 2023/24 player option, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link).

Porzingis’ decision on a $36MM player option is reportedly due on Wednesday, unless he and the Wizards agree to push back that deadline. If he were to opt out, the 27-year-old would be on track to reach unrestricted free agency and couldn’t be dealt this offseason unless it happened in a sign-and-trade deal.

Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade hard-caps a team at the first tax apron, so it would be simpler for the Celtics – a projected taxpayer – to trade for Porzingis if he were to pick up his option. That would make him immediately trade-eligible and wouldn’t result in hard-cap complications.

Porzingis is coming off perhaps the best season of his career. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 65 games (32.6 MPG) in 2022/23, posting a shooting line of .498/.385/.851.

Still, Porzingis’ future in D.C. is murky following the upheaval in the team’s front office. The new group, led by president of basketball operations Michael Winger, is in the process of resetting the Wizards’ roster, starting with a trade that will send Bradley Beal to Phoenix.

According to Charania, the team hasn’t closed the door on working out a new deal with Porzingis, but the big man is receiving interest from rival suitors. It’s also unclear if he’d want to stick with the Wizards through a retooling process.

Charania doesn’t clarify what pieces the Celtics might include in an offer for Porzingis, but the team would have a variety of options for salary-matching in a trade. Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari is one hypothetical combination that would work. Derrick White and Marcus Smart will each make $18MM+ next season and could be traded, though Brogdon and his $22.5MM salary seem more likely to be included in an offer.

Robert Williams and Al Horford are among Boston’s other potential trade pieces if the team envisions Porzingis replacing one of them in the frontcourt rather than supplementing them. Restricted free agent Grant Williams could be a sign-and-trade chip. It at least seems safe to assume the Celtics will keep Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown out of any offer for Porzingis.

It’s also worth noting that the C’s have traded away their 2023 first-round pick and swap rights to their 2028 first-round selection, but are otherwise fairly unencumbered in offering future first-rounders.

Trade Rumors: G. Williams, Hunter, Nuggets, Wizards, Ayton, More

June 21st, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are among the teams that have spoken to the Celtics about the idea of a Grant Williams sign-and-trade, a league source tells Tim Cato of The Athletic. While it’s not easy to envision a deal that gets Williams to Dallas and appeals to both teams, the Mavs are just one of many potential suitors for the restricted free agent forward.

According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, there have been more than a half-dozen teams to inquire with the Celtics about the possibility of signing-and-trading for Williams. At this point, Boston is conveying that it wants to retain Williams, per Weiss, who notes that new Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee is a fan of the forward and could help get more out of him in 2023/24 and beyond.

Within his story, Weiss also notes that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is optimistic he can avoid surgery on a torn tendon in his left elbow, would like to remain in Boston. Brogdon’s name has come up in trade rumors early in the offseason as the Celtics reportedly explore ways to clear a backcourt logjam.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within his latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report cites league sources who say the Hawks have explored the trade market for forward De’Andre Hunter. One motivating factor, Wasserman explains, would be opening up more playing time for promising young wing AJ Griffin.
The Nuggets, who worked out Trayce Jackson-Davis, Andre Jackson, Jordan Walsh, Kobe Brown, Drew Timme, and Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, continue to actively explore deals that would get them into the first round of Thursday’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required), who says Denver is talking to multiple teams.
The Wizards asked for Suns center Deandre Ayton when the two teams were negotiating their Bradley Beal trade, but Phoenix was unwilling to include him, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Gambadoro said this week during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that he has been told the Heat weren’t all that interested in pushing for Beal. Reports have indicated that Beal would have approved a move to Miami, and it seems as though the Heat could’ve put a stronger package on the table than the one the Wizards got from the Suns if they’d been so inclined.
While it comes as no surprise, the heads of basketball operations for the Hornets (Mitch Kupchak) and Pacers (Kevin Pritchard) both said they don’t anticipate keeping and using all of the 2023 draft picks they own, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) and Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The two teams, who each figure to make at least one draft-night trade, control five picks apiece — Indiana has three in the first round and two in the second, while Charlotte has a pair of first-rounders and three early seconds.

Celtics Rumors: Guards, Pritchard, G. Williams, Brown, More

June 19th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are reportedly exploring the possibility of trading a guard from a group that includes Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard. While there has been speculation that the team will look to move one of its higher-priced backcourt pieces, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe hears from a source that financial factors “won’t guide” Boston’s roster decisions.

That means that Pritchard, who has by far the smallest 2023/24 cap hit of any of those four guards, could be the player on the move, though that’s not a lock either. Himmelsbach’s source says there’s no tension between Pritchard and the franchise despite his stated preference to be traded this past season.

Pritchard simply wants to play a larger role, so if the Celtics could offer him that opportunity, it sounds like he’d be happy to remain in Boston. According to Himmelsbach, the team is still high on the former first-round pick.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

The Celtics have received calls from teams about possible sign-and-trade scenarios involving Grant Williams, but the likeliest scenario is that he’ll re-sign and remain in Boston, Himmelsbach’s source says.
All signs continue to point to Jaylen Brown receiving and signing a super-max extension this summer, with no indication that the Celtics are thinking about trading him, per Himmelsbach.
Phil Pressey, a former NBA guard who played with the Celtics from 2013-15, is joining the team’s coaching staff, according to Himmelsbach, who hears the club will likely add at least one more behind-the-bench coach in the not-too-distant future.
Celtics draft-and-stash players Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin aren’t expected to play for the team at the Las Vegas Summer League in July, a source tells Himmelsbach. It’s unclear if either one could still emerge as part of the team’s plans for 2023/24.
Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com spoke to rival executives and coaches about what the Celtics should – and shouldn’t – do with their roster this offseason.

Trade Rumors: Brogdon, Ayton, Blazers, Zion, CP3, More

June 19th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With Bradley Beal headed to Phoenix, the Suns are no longer likely to be players for Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, whom they were linked to last week, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

As Robb notes, the Suns still have Deandre Ayton as a trade chip and could theoretically send him out in a Brogdon trade. But the Celtics aren’t interested in Ayton due to his pricey multiyear contract, Robb says, so a third team would have to be involved to take Ayton and send something to Boston. Even if the Suns and Celtics could find a third team, it seems unlikely that Phoenix would want to trade Ayton for another guard, given the current make-up of the team’s core.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has gotten the sense from league sources that if the Trail Blazers were to make a trade with the Pelicans involving the No. 3 pick, they’d rather acquire Zion Williamson than Brandon Ingram. Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that the Hornets (at No. 2) would likely prefer Ingram to Williamson.
Although he expects Williamson to open the 2023/24 season with the Pelicans, Ian Begley of SNY.tv explores potential pathways for the Knicks to acquire the former No. 1 overall pick.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Charania says the Warriors were among the teams to discuss a Chris Paul trade with the Suns before Phoenix agreed to acquire Beal from Washington. With the Wizards exploring the possibility of flipping Paul to a third team, it’s unclear whether or not they’ve touched base with Golden State.
The Clippers, previously identified as a possible trade partner for Paul, wouldn’t shut the door on re-signing Russell Westbrook if they were able to land CP3, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who hears from sources that the Clips would still offer Westbrook the biggest deal they can using his Non-Bird rights (120% of the veteran’s minimum).

Suns Eyeing Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon In Trade Talks

June 16th, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Rory Maher

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Suns haven’t found many suitors for Chris Paul‘s $30.8MM contract, which is partially guaranteed at $15.8MM.

They lack the draft capital to move off Paul’s salary, Fischer notes, and trade rules make it tricky to find a workable deal between two parties, as Paul’s outgoing salary for matching purposes is only $15.8MM, but his incoming salary for his new team would be the full $30.8MM.

That has led the Suns to explore three-team scenarios for Paul, Fischer reports, with the goal of finding a team with cap room to take on the veteran guard’s salary. Rival teams think the Spurs might be an option in that scenario, though it’s unclear whether they’d have any interest in Paul, and it seems unlikely he’d want to stick with a rebuilding club.

Despite already having Zach Collins and the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft, which they will use on 7’5″ French phenom Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs appear to be in the market for a starting-caliber center, per Fischer, with the goal of reducing the Wembanyama’s workload as a thin incoming rookie.

As for players the Suns are targeting in the three-team talks, sources tell Fischer that Phoenix continues to be intrigued by Hawks forward John Collins, and he adds a new name as well: Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.

Brogdon, who has a $22.5MM cap hit in each of the next two seasons, could be on the move due to Boston’s financial situation and roster makeup, with a glut of guards that includes Marcus Smart, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. Fischer confirms the Celtics are looking for help at other positions, and rival teams think White is the least likely of that group to be dealt.

Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, I. Stewart, C. Johnson, Harden, More

June 16th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are exploring ways to improve their roster, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who suggests that a sign-and-trade of forward Grant Williams or a trade involving one or more of the team’s guards are among the options in play. Brian Robb of MassLive.com published a similar report, suggesting that a source told him Boston has been one of the most active teams on the trade market.

According to Robb, the Celtics are looking into whether they’ll be able to move a player from their crowded backcourt in order to balance their roster and upgrade at another position. Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard are all under contract for next season.

While Pritchard is the most logical trade candidate, given that he sought a change of scenery during the 2022/23 season and wasn’t part of the Celtics’ playoff rotation, it might make more sense for Boston to move one of its higher-paid guards, Robb writes. That would allow the Celtics to bring back a bigger salary in a trade or would help create flexibility to re-sign Williams.

Interestingly, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says (via Twitter) that the Celtics are among the teams to inquire about Isaiah Stewart. However, Edwards doesn’t expect the Pistons to move Stewart, who will be extension-eligible this offseason.

Here are a few more rumors from around the Atlantic, including another one that involves the Pistons:

Following the Pistons‘ hiring of Monty Williams, Nets restricted free agent forward Cameron Johnson – who played for Williams in Phoenix – is rising on Detroit’s list of free agent targets, according to Marc Stein at Substack. But Brooklyn is “quietly expressing confidence” about its ability to retain Johnson, says Stein, which suggests the team either knows what it will take to re-sign him or fully intends to match any offer he receives as a restricted free agent.
If the Nets commit to a lucrative new deal for Johnson, will they have to cut costs elsewhere? Stein notes that forward Dorian Finney-Smith is still viewed as a “prime trade candidate,” while Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer hears from sources that Brooklyn has received calls about both Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports shares a few Sixers-related tidbits in his latest round-up of rumors from around the NBA, writing that the team appears to prefer another short-term deal with free-agent-to-be James Harden and citing sources who say Philadelphia is “actively seeking” opportunities to trade into the second round of next week’s draft. The 76ers don’t currently own a 2023 draft pick.

Atlantic Notes: Beal, Brown, Brogdon, Harden, Towns

June 14th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics made inquiries about Bradley Beal in the past, but they’re unlikely to pursue the high-scoring Wizards guard now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (video link). Boston had thoughts of teaming up Beal with his long-time friend Jayson Tatum, but Windhorst doesn’t believe it’s realistic with the team’s current salary structure.

“My feel from talking to sources is that the Celtics are not necessarily in on this one,” Windhorst said. “Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown on a contract extension this year. Even if they got Jaylen Brown done, the idea of bringing in Bradley Beal would be extraordinarily difficult because of the three contracts together. I don’t think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now.”

Brown became eligible for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors this season. Beal signed a maximum contract last summer and will make nearly $208MM over the next four years, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

With the Celtics hoping to trim salary this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests potential deals involving Malcolm Brogdon. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a productive first season in Boston, but he’s owed $22.5MM in each of the next two years and that money may be needed elsewhere. Robb proposes trades involving the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and 76ers.
The Sixers prefer to re-sign James Harden, but they shouldn’t be viewed as desperate, according to Windhorst, who says in his latest podcast that Philadelphia has alternatives lined up if the veteran guard returns to Houston. “While they absolutely want James Harden back, and I think there’s a way they can play together and still be highly successful, the Sixers have other moves they can make,” Windhorst said. “If Harden walks, they have cap space. They have tradable contracts. They have things they can do. Harden is important, but not the end-all and be-all for the 76ers.”
Rico Hines will be an assistant to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hines worked under Nurse with the Raptors last season.
The Knicks would have numerous ways to match Karl-Anthony Towns‘ salary in a trade if the Timberwolves make him available, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Because Towns’ extension doesn’t start until 2024/25, he will make $36MM next season. Sending out Julius Randle ($25.6MM) or Mitchell Robinson ($15.6MM), either of whom might be redundant on the same team with Towns, gives New York plenty of remaining options to reach a matching figure, Begley notes.

Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Brown, Brogdon, G. Williams

June 1st, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Joe Mazzulla‘s ascension to head coach after Ime Udoka’s suspension led to disagreements between the coaching staff and several of the Celtics‘ stars over the team’s style of play, according to Jay King and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Boston was coming off an NBA Finals run under Udoka built around a suffocating defense, and many players wanted to continue that philosophy. Mazzulla placed more emphasis on the offense and frequently relied on smaller lineups, using Derrick White as a starter even when Robert Williams was healthy.

Although Mazzulla generally had the support of his players, who recognized that he was in a difficult situation, one source tells the authors that the team “just lost focus” after the All-Star Game, going 7-6 in its first 13 games following the break. Some veterans wondered why Mazzulla went away from Grant Williams, whose playing time was cut in March. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown met with Mazzulla to implore him to put Grant Williams back in the rotation, sources tell King and Weiss.

Complaints about Mazzulla’s emphasis on offense continued into the playoffs, the authors add. Some players said they left timeouts unsure of the defensive coverages, and that Blake Griffin, Marcus Smart, Grant Williams and others would work things out at the last minute.

Even amid the chaos, players publicly remained supportive of Mazzulla after the Game 7 loss to Miami.

“I don’t think people give (Mazzulla) or us enough credit that, two days before (the) season starts, we find out we’re going to have a new coach,” Tatum said. “We didn’t have Rob the first 25, 30 games of the season, we never got a chance to have (Danilo Gallinari), and we got a new coach one day before media day. You know, that was an adjustment. We all figured it out. Obviously, we wanted to win the championship. Didn’t happen. But I think Joe did a great job. We won 50-some-odd games. We got to (Game 7 of the) conference finals. Obviously, everybody can be better, learn from this. But I think Joe did a great job this year.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Among the reasons Mazzulla is likely to return as head coach next season is his contract, which still has $14MM remaining in guaranteed money, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charania expects Mazzulla to be given the chance to build his coaching staff this summer.
Brown didn’t talk much about his future after Game 7, but Tatum said it’s “extremely important” that he remains on the team, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. There has been speculation that the Celtics may explore trade options after Brown qualified for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast that he would be “stunned” if Boston doesn’t reach a new agreement with Brown (hat tip to Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report).
Either White, Smart or Malcolm Brogdon is likely to be moved this offseason to ease the financial crunch, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who believes Brogdon could be the top trade asset despite his large salary. That savings could be used to keep Grant Williams, a restricted free agent, Forsberg adds.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, White, Williams, Brogdon

May 30th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

Following a disappointing Game 7 loss to the Heat on Monday, the Celtics face some significant offseason decisions, writes Sopan Deb of The New York Times. Jaylen Brown‘s contract situation looms largest among those decisions, as his All-NBA berth this spring made him eligible for a super-max extension.

Boston will have to decide whether to put that offer – which could be worth nearly approximately $295MM over five years – on the table for Brown, who will be entering the final year of his current deal in 2023/24. While he didn’t specifically address the financial details of a potential Celtics offer, Brown’s co-star Jayson Tatum said after Monday’s loss that it’s crucial the team locks up Brown beyond next season.

“He’s one of the best players in this league,” Tatum said. “He plays both ends of the ball and still is relatively young. And he’s accomplished a lot so far in his career. So, I think it’s extremely important.”

For his part, Brown wasn’t ready to address his contract situation in the wake of Monday’s loss.

“I don’t even really know how to answer that question right now, to be honest,” Brown said, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “My thought process is take it one day at a time, focus on getting better. Focus on what the future holds and see where we are from there.”

Here’s more on the Celtics after they fell short of their second consecutive NBA Finals appearance:

Tatum sprained his ankle during the first minute of Game 7 on Monday. Although he remained in the game, Tatum admitted after scoring just 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting that he was “a shell of myself,” per Bontemps. “It was tough to move,” Tatum said. “Just frustrating, it happening on the first play.”
Game 6 hero Derrick White will undergo an MRI on his left leg, which he injured in the second half of Game 7, writes Bontemps. “I mean, I’ll be fine,” White said. “I’m not too worried about it. But I’ll find out more (on Tuesday).”
Despite the disappointing end to their season, the Celtics raved on Monday about how the locker room stuck together after the team fell behind 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami. As Jay King of The Athletic writes, Brown referred to it as “one of the most together groups that we’ve had,” while head coach Joe Mazzulla said it was “one of the best locker rooms” he has been a part of. “Obviously, we didn’t achieve our goal; we didn’t win, which was our goal,” Mazzulla said. “So, we failed in that regard, but it’s not because the guys didn’t have a sense of togetherness, character and just who they are as people.”
Robert Williams, who played just 14 minutes in Game 7, was battling an illness on Monday, a league source tells Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss observes within the same story that Malcolm Brogdon was “clearly too injured to play” on Monday after missing Game 6 due to a forearm injury. Brogdon, a minus-15 in just seven minutes in Game 7, confirmed that he has a partially torn tendon in his right elbow and said he’d consider undergoing offseason surgery (Twitter link via Weiss).
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) previewed the offseason decisions facing the Celtics, including how to handle Grant Williams‘ impending restricted free agency.

Celtics’ Brogdon Available For Game 7

May 29th, 2023 at 6:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon is available to play in Game 7 tonight against the Heat, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets.

That gives coach Joe Mazzulla another option as Boston attempts to become the first team in NBA history to erase an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Brogdon had been listed as questionable after missing Game 6 due to a right forearm strain. He only played eight minutes in Game 5.

Brogdon scored a combined 32 points in the first two games of the series. He averaged 16.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the second-round series against the Sixers and 13.3/3.7/4.3 against the Hawks in the opening round.