DONE DEAL: THE CELTICS HAS FINALLY OWNED A RACE BY SIGNING.
New injury sustained by former Celtics guard following trade to Blazers.
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 30: On November 30, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio, Malcolm Brogdon #11 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives against Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. NOTE TO USER: By downloading and/or using this image, User explicitly understands and accepts that User is agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Image courtesy of Getty Images/Ron SchwaneGetty Photographs.
On Tuesday night, former Celtics players’ unfortunate run of injuries continued. Malcolm Brogdon, a guard for the Blazers, played just 12 minutes in the game before leaving in the second half due to right knee soreness.
After being acquired in the Jrue Holiday trade, Brogdon has performed admirably for Portland this season in a starting role. However, he missed five games last month because of a sore left hamstring. With a 38 percent 3-point shooting percentage, Brogdon has averaged 17 points per game. In addition, he’s dishing out 6.1 assists per game, which is a record high since the 2019–20 campaign.
Following a seven-game losing streak, Portland has won three of their last six games as they have recovered from a slow start to the season.
Although it’s unclear how long Brogdon will be out of commission, it will be interesting to watch as trade season gets underway later this month. With two years remaining on his contract, the point guard is definitely a trade candidate for Portland, who is rebuilding and already has a wealth of young backcourt talent in Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons.
Before the season started, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin stated that the team intended to retain Brogdon as a mentor. However, after Portland started the season with a 6-14 record, that opinion may have changed.
Cronin told reporters in Portland back in October, “We want Malcolm to come here and be a part of this.” “We’re going to need his veteran experience, and he can provide some good intangibles for us on the court. We have a very inexperienced team. I want to make sure that these guys are surrounded by enough seasoned leadership.
Brogdon’s contract won’t be easy to move in a trade because he is expected to make a sizable $22.5 million this season and the following. In the upcoming months, though, any team trying to improve their bench will definitely give the veteran a look. The Blazers will probably exercise caution when it comes to Brogdon’s physical health in order to maintain his trade value. Portland has already had a difficult season due to injuries to tradeable players, such as former Celtics center Robert Williams, who suffered a season-ending knee injury.
