Boston Celtics acquire Malcolm Brogdon for Theis, Nesmith, pick

The Celtics are busy on day two of free agency, pulling off a trade for Malcolm Brogdon. The deal sends Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, and their 2023 first-round pick to Indiana. The deal also includes Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, and Juwan Morgan to make salaries work. Brogdon makes $22.5 million per year for the next three seasons. 

The move currently gives Boston three playmaking guards along with Marcus Smart and Derrick White. 

“I think we need a little bit more playmaking. I think that's real,” Brad Stevens said a couple weeks ago. “We have to make sure that we continue to play with pace. When we are at our best we play with pace … there's no question in this league, the more guys that can make a play offensively the better.”

Brogdon, who turns 30 in December, gives Boston an efficient scorer who is usually dependable from deep and a guy who generally takes care of the ball. 

It also bolsters the bench and gives Boston a lot of combinations it can turn to. Brogdon can lead bench units with Jaylen Brown, taking the pressure off Brown to be both distributor and scorer. He can fill in nicely if Smart has to miss time due to injury, and if the Celtics want a more dependable hand down the stretch, they can put him in alongside Smart. 

The issue, of course, is Brogdon's injury history. He's only really played one full season, playing 75 out of 82 games his rookie year. The next best season playing 56 of 72 in the 2021 season. He only played 36 games last season, so while he might be starter-worthy talent, his injuries seem to point to perhaps some reduced minutes and a sixth-man role. 

The Celtics still have their $17.1 million traded player exception, so there is still a good chance they can add to their team. However, this deal makes using that TPE a little less likely. If the team still starts Smart, Brown, Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams, and Al Horford, then bringing Brogdon, White, Danilo Gallinari, and Grant Williams off the bench allows Boston to go nine-deep. They could use part of that TPE to pursue a third big now that Theis is gone, but 10 rotation players are generally the most a team can have. 

They are also committed to a significant salary right now, with 11 players making more than $167 million. The tax line is approximately $150 million, putting Boston $17 million over the tax. Stevens told reporters he had the green light to spend this summer, and right now they're doing that. If Boston stays $17 million over the tax line, their tax bill will be $35,250,000. 

That's a lot more than the team has spent in the past, and there are still slots to fill. If they add salary via the TPE, that will push the tax bill higher. If the owners are fine with that, then they’ll pay whatever the bill is, but it doesn't rule out a move later to shed some salary and save a few bucks if something isn’t working. 

That's something to figure out later. For now, the Celtics have added a bunch of scoring and some reliable playmaking to the team. They seem to have accomplished their offseason goals today, and have a way to still add to their roster. 

Here are some additional thoughts on the Gallinari signing and Brogdon trade: