In June, a trade that would have sent Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Los Angeles Clippers was seemingly on the verge of coming together.
However, in a bit of a twist, negotiations fell apart and killed the deal, keeping Brogdon with Boston.
The three-team talks on a Porzingis-Brogdon deal with Celtics, Wizards and Clippers have fallen apart, sources tell ESPN. Sides are moving on. https://t.co/WoNkOcTYe5
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2023
The Celtics still found a way to acquire Kristaps Porzingis even after the deal involving Brogdon collapsed, with the team ultimately trading away a Marcus Smart-led package instead. It was a three-team transaction, and the Clippers weren’t involved.
But months later, it sounds like the Clippers are still interested in Brogdon.
“The price for [Jrue] Holiday likely starts at two first-round picks, but several teams in the mix have the means and motivation to go beyond that,” wrote The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “The L.A. Clippers are reportedly in the hunt for the defensive stalwart, but they have continued to engage the Celtics in trade talks for Brogdon throughout the offseason, league sources told The Athletic under the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely. After a deal surrounding Brogdon and Kristaps Porziņģis fell just short of the finish line in June, the organization has worked to repair the relationship with the Sixth Man of the Year while continuing to explore trade options in case that bridge is too singed to be repaired.”
The Celtics and Clippers are reportedly both teams of interest to Holiday.
There have been some concerns about the current state of relations between Brogdon and the Celtics following the failed trade in June. The 30-year-old’s first season with the organization was very successful in many ways — he won Sixth Man of the Year honors and the Celtics came within a win of the NBA Finals — but a failed trade can certainly cause a relationship to crack.
Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. He came off the bench all year long.
The Clippers still have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook leading the way. While L.A. hasn’t been able to realize its potential with its current core, the team simply can’t be dismissed in the Western Conference when it has as much talent as it does.
Brogdon would give the Clippers some interesting rotation options and has what it takes to help them from a spacing standpoint in situations that might otherwise feature Westbrook.
L.A. is seemingly trying to give its roster a real chance at competing for the 2024 NBA title, and a trade for some more backcourt help would likely increase optimism.
