NBA Notebook: Imagining what Malcolm Brogdon brings to Celtics

The Boston Celtics appear to have taken small steps to quell the Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant trade speculation that's overshadowed their offseason since late-July. The Boston Globe reported Boston and Brooklyn haven't shared substantive talks on a deal, then a Celtics social media post promoting ticket sales for next season prominently featured Brown alongside Jayson Tatum on Friday. With the team roughly one month from training camp and opening night at TD Garden under 60 days away, the biggest Celtics addition this offseason will likely go down as Malcolm Brogdon.

A once-transformative role player joins Boston after an injury-riddled run as a lead guard in Indiana now hoping to regain his form. It's no mistake that the Celtics acquired Brogdon for the low price of Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis and a protected first-round pick in next year's draft because the guard played 36 games last season, struggling to manage an Achilles injury. As the Pacers rebuilt and transformed their roster around Tyrese Haliburton, they couldn't shop Brogdon due to an extension he signed last summer that made him trade-ineligible until the offseason. The market wasn't strong ahead of his 30-year-old season once the summer arrived, with Brogdon owed $67.6 million over the next three seasons. Boston stood in a unique position to acquire him, given their guard depth and contract matching flexibility. Brad Stevens successfully followed his mantra of adding to the reigning eastern conference champions without taking away from them. The low acquisition cost won't make Brogdon a sure bet to solve problems. 

While Marcus Smart projects to remain the Celtics' starting point guard and Derrick White's presence alleviates Brogdon's injury concerns some, Boston is relying on him to help their playmaking deficiencies and fit into smaller lineups while sustaining the team's defense. If he's missing they will not have gained. 

"As we went through the playoffs, and the different challenges, some series are better for some guys than others, but one of the things I thought would be good was if we gave ourselves more options with a quote, 'small,' lineup," Stevens said. "Obviously we're not small when you talk about Danilo and Malcolm, they're big guys, but they're very skilled, so they're able to space the floor and play that way, and it just gives us even more options in certain scenarios and certain substitution patterns, and even sometimes (they'll) start games, start halves if you want to ... we do have a deep team, there will be the need for everybody to give a little, which is important, but I think everybody here is ready to do that." 

They need Brogdon available to gel and find his role after an effectively lost season, with so much of last year's Celtics success built on cohesion and continuity built through early struggles. Brogdon missed 40 of Indiana's final 50 games, perhaps his absence lengthened by the Pacers falling out of playoff contention quickly, but he also injured his back, hip and hamstring, limiting him to 54 appearances in 2020 and 56 in 2021 (both seasons were 72 games). 

He tore his quad late in 2018 and the effects lingered into round one against the Celtics where he shot 43.6% in a seven-game series loss for Milwaukee. A heel injury derailed his final postseason with the Bucks in 2019, forcing him to sit in the first round against Detroit and nearly the entirety of the first round against Detroit and all but one game in round two against Boston. The Bucks' ability to reach the east finals without him and growing injury history likely played into their decision to not overly extend themselves to keep him in free agency. 

Through three Pacers seasons Brogdon advanced past his off-ball Bucks role to become a floor general for the Pacers, and now he'll need to find a balance again in Boston. That'll require staying on the floor, which Brogdon hasn't done since his rookie season after a five-year college tenure at Virginia (due to a foot injury forcing a redshirt). Even when he played last year, the Pacers needed to hold him back and out of back-to-backs amid the achilles ailment. 

"There's a piece of you that wants to go to the coach and just be like, 'Forget the minutes restrictions. Let me finish this one, help us finish this one,'" Brogdon said in February. "But you just gotta be smart. This is a long season. Got about 20 games left so it's about pacing myself and staying healthy for my team."

When he does take the court, the results on both ends can be dazzling, with the guard proving he could thrive at point guard upon joining the Pacers. Brogdon received 80 touches per game last year, holding the ball for 5.8 minutes each night for an average of 4.3 seconds last season after dominating on-ball for nearly seven minutes per game in 2019-20. He fell closer to 50-60 touches each night with the Bucks, with 3-4 minutes of ball time and 3-4 second touches playing next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. We can already start imagining his dribble handoff and off-ball movement around Robert Williams III's high post touches, movement Brogdon loves to attack out of. 

His Bucks role is more likely to resemble the one he'll play next to Tatum, who averaged 73.8 touches last season and 4.7 minutes on-ball. Smart should maintain a relatively even split while Brown utilized 60 touches as a finisher. It'd make sense for Brogdon to fill in as a secondary ball-handler who makes quick decisions, similar to White, deciding whether to shoot or keep the ball moving off the catch in Ime Udoka's 0.5-second offense. 

Brogdon had improved from the 51st to the 69th percentile of pick-and-roll playmakers between 2019 and 2020, producing 0.92 points per possession while joining Domantas Sabonis. The duo improved Brogdon to the 87th percentile in the pick-and-roll last year, albeit in a limited sample size, scoring 1.02 PPP in 8.0 P&Rs per game on 48% shooting. It relied on Brogdon's in-between game though, with poor shooting around him, which the Celtics won't always need to do. That floater should be helpful though, and playmaking seems to point toward Brogdon's shot-making as much as it does any high-level passing.

The efficiency of those sets stands to be where he helps the Celtics most, Brogdon boasting one of the top-10 lowest turnover rates in the pick-and-roll each of the last three seasons, giving the ball away on fewer than 10% of those possessions each of the last two years. Only teammate T.J. McConnell had a lower TOV% among pick-and-roll handlers last season, albeit with both players appearing in fewer than 40 games. 

That and Brogdon's past elite prowess in catch-and-shoot threes gives Tatum, Smart and Brown a passing outlet. Brogdon only shot 33% from three in those situations last year, but that came with a lower share of wide-open shots while hurt. When he had the rare 50% FG, 40% 3PT, 90% FT (50-40-90) season in 2018-19, Antetokounmpo helped him attempt 81% of his threes while wide open. Tatum can now do the same. 

Only 64.8% of Brogdon's looks came with nobody around on the Pacers, forced to take more threes off the dribble. He shot 44.4% on catch-and-shoot threes two years ago, a top-15 mark at his volume that surpassed Steph Curry. Only Joe Harris shot better in those situations in 2018-19 than Brogdon's 47.5% mark (3.8 att./game) in Milwaukee. 

The Celtics need that, having scrapped together floor-spacing production alongside Tatum between Brown's 4.3 catch-and-shoot attempts (36.7%), Smart's 4.1 (35.2%), Al Horford's 3.6 (32.8%) and White's 3.5 (30.8%) each night last season. Brogdon is a corner specialist, closer to average above the break throughout his career. 

Grant Williams knocked down 41.7% on 3.1 tries, becoming a key swing factor for the offense. The team added Danilo Gallinari to loosen that reliance, Boston finishing 15th in catch-and-shoot three efficiency despite generating the eighth-most attempts. Funneling some of the 8.1 wide open threes per game that Horford, Smart and White shot 34.6% on to Brogdon and Gallinari should bode well for an offense fairly reliant on the deep ball. 

Brogdon's major impact comes on the drive though. While Smart has improved as a downhill threat, Brogdon is one of the most aggressive and effective attackers among guards in the league. He shot 54.1% on those plays last year, only three players averaging more attempts (18.3), with the 16th-most drives in 2021 and 20th-most in 2020. The Bucks years saw him attack upwards of 10 times each night, and he rarely gives the ball up in those circumstances, with fewer than 1.0 turnover per game playing for the Pacers when driving (4.2 TO%, 3rd in 2022).

As a passer, Brogdon served nearly three times as many assists (6.3) as turnovers (2.2) with the Pacers in three seasons. His 27.1 AST% ranked 17th among players who averaged his amount of minutes or more. That share compared favorably to Nikola Jokic (35 AST%) in 2020 while Smart produced the best number for the 2022 Celtics (24.5 AST%). Brogdon also thrived in transition, bordering top-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio as he prepares to join a team that wants to pile up stops and get out on the run. He's just a solid decision-maker. 

His weaknesses come in the athletic department, especially after years of injuries. He needs screens to get into his offense on-ball, he's not the most dynamic cutter and he hasn't shot 59% at the basket since 2018-19. Defenses don't overly respect his pull-up jumper and that can limit his pick-and-roll prowess, so Udoka will lean on Tatum and Brown on-ball, because their shot-making threat has the ability to bend a defense in ways Brogdon's won't. As much hope as he brings to calm the offense down in certain situations, it'll be on the same contributors as last year to solve their turnover and facilitating challenges. 

"Continue to grow with what we've done," Udoka said. "One year under their belt, getting to where they did, we got better and saw a lot of progress throughout the season, more of that. As I've mentioned, everything's implemented now, they know who I am, we know who they are, we've had some additions, but really I told the group, 'Malcolm and Danilo being added is great for our depth, but the growth is going to have to come from you guys' -- the starting five." 

Brogdon should fit seamlessly in Udoka's defensive system at 6-5 with a 6-10 wingspan with a strong 230-pound frame. He's been somewhat overrated as an on-ball stopper, particularly if he's declined through injuries as an athlete, already having struggled to guard the quicker players at the point of attack in Indiana. That makes Brogdon a perfect fit with Smart, the reigning defensive player of the year who'll take on those top opposing guards and save Brogdon from switching in certain situations. He loves to read passing lanes.

That duo with Brown, Tatum and a center will close more games than not, with Brogdon perfectly suited to guard off-ball, prevent catches and rebound competitively for his size. White showed to be the better of the two with how seamlessly he defended one-through-three in the playoffs, even giving Steph Curry some trouble in the Finals. There'll be matchups where Smart, Brogdon and White all play together, which would produce some fun passing sequences.

The Celtics will be bigger, more versatile, play with a greater sense of poise and give Tatum an additional outlet to drive-and-kick successfully to, which makes the addition a no-brainer. Udoka may run into some difficulties regarding minutes if Smart hits a slump or Brogdon explodes to such a degree where he needs to enter the starting lineup later in the season. They've seemingly sorted out that dynamic for now with Brogdon's willingness to sacrifice.

Horford could become a compromiser, with his need for rest and desire to win at this stage of his career likely making him more amicable to whatever role change best benefits the team. The health factor looms largest, and even though White's presence makes the Celtics as well equipped as any to sustain if Brogdon misses time, they want to be healthy in the postseason to reach their upside and his absence could lead to issues further down the rotation. 

Brogdon appears a better fit for Boston than someone like Dejounte Murray at a lower relative cost, has reached the stage of his career where he's focused on winning over individual aspirations. There's reason to think he and fellow ATLien Jaylen Brown can mesh while Brogdon's range of impact offensively has a better chance of unlocking the offense than some 3-and-D wings the trade exception gave them access to. Ownership took a leap by taking on Brogdon's long-term contract when Brown and Tatum will inevitably inflict major luxury tax burdens on the franchise into the future, but Stevens, Udoka and the team evidently saw him as the final piece that could push them over the top. 

"I experienced winning at a high level in Milwaukee for my first three years, went to Indiana, had a solid season, and then sort of two rough seasons, so this is everything I've wanted, to able to get back to this level," Brodgon said. "To compete with guys that want to win a championship and that are all in, who want to sacrifice to win ... we're trying to add, we're not trying to take away. This team already has something special, they've already made it to the Finals, they already have a recipe, and I want to add to that recipe, not disrupt it. So whatever this team needs from me, whatever Ime needs from me, whatever my teammates need from me, that's what Imma do." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week... 

Boston: Payton Pritchard apparently broke his nose again as he sported a mask while playing in some Los Angeles pro-am action. The mask added to a slow start to 2021-22 for Pritchard, who shot 35.7% through Christmas. Second-round pick Juhann Begarin, who thrived at Summer League, will return to Paris Basketball this season, per the Globe. 

Brooklyn: Kevin Durant refuted a report he would retire before he played for the Nets again, but continues to remain silent regarding the motive behind his June trade demand. The team continues to demand a large return, largely stalling any trade developments. There's a chance Brooklyn still hopes to regroup in training camp, gain momentum and put the demand in the past, largely deflecting the latest Lakers overture for Kyrie Irving and reportedly demanding a win-now return for the star.

Charlotte: Gordon Hayward was visible shooting on the move in the Hornets' arena months removed from his foot injury, appearing ready to go entering his third season of a Charlotte tenure that's largely been injury-plagued. The Heat have reportedly kept an eye on Hayward, who has two years and $61.6-million remaining on his deal, in case other pursuits fall through. Five years after his traumatic ankle injury in his Celtics debut, Hayward continues to be a swing player for his teams who is averaging 17.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 3.8 APG while shooting 40.2% from three. That production would earn him another sizable contract even with his availability concerns. With free agent Miles Bridges likely out of the fold, the Hornets will need to decide whether to opt for a mini reset and move Hayward or increase their reliance on him, which feels precarious. 

Chicago: It wasn't much of a newsworthy comment, but Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't shoot down the possibility of playing for the Bulls in the future in a Fox 32 Chicago interview promoting a brand partnership. He said anybody would like to join the Bulls given their history while adding he's committed to Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo is signed for three more seasons with a 2025 player option after extending with a Bucks franchise that facilitated his arrival in the US, ascendance to playing time and eventually multiple MVPs and a championship. 

Antetokounmpo repaid that loyalty by re-signing with the Bucks rather than listening to not-so-secret desires and roster angling happening with the Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Raptors and others in anticipation of an unrestricted free agency that never came. Chicago would be an easier eventual geographic move, he might not need to move at all from his home one hour away in Wisconsin. It's only a pipe dream now.

Dallas: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban appeared on Taylor Rooks' great interview series and told a story from 2007 where he thought Dallas had a deal to acquire Kobe Bryant from the Lakers. Mitch Kupchak and Los Angeles eventually talked Bryant into staying, altering NBA history with two more championship banners arriving in LA in 2009-2010, before the Mavs found a way to build their own title team in 2011 around Dirk Nowitzki. 

Golden State: Warriors champion Andre Iguodala, now podcasting alongside Evan Turner, urged Kevin Durant to stay with the Nets on a recent episode as Golden State fell out of Shams Charania's list of significant contenders to land the star. The Warriors' cast, which could include Iguodala, who's been left a roster spot if he decides to return, mulled a Durant reunion as well before Bob Myers and Golden State's brass decided to roll with the 2022 championship roster. Iguodala's comments raised eyebrows given his decision to hold out after being traded from Golden State to Memphis in 2019, the team eventually trading him to a Heat team that reached the east finals. 

Houston: Jalen Green talked about his improvements entering year two with CNN in the Philippines, as the continued developments in Brooklyn bode well for Green and Houston's future. The Rockets own 2024 and 2026 unprotected Nets picks, with first-round swap options in 2023, 2025 and 2027 from the James Harden trade. The latter group will require Houston at least surpass Brooklyn to benefit from the Nets' demise, which is unlikely at least for this season. A quick Jalen Smith Jr. adjustment to the league and Green's ascension among the top scorers would help, but this Rockets group is still at the ground floor of its rebuild, needing the Nets badly to help accelerate it. 

Indiana: Pacers GM Chad Buchanan compared guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana legend Reggie Miller entering his second season with the franchise in a recent interview. It's a high bar for Haliburton, as Miller had the Pacers in NBA Finals contention during the 1990s, while this group still appears far from the postseason after missing out on Deandre Ayton with their offer sheet getting matched by Phoenix.

"We're gonna build our team around him," he told Basketball News. "We see him as hopefully being the next Reggie Miller. We had a Reggie Miller mural painted on a building in downtown Indianapolis, and I think our dream is that one day Tyrese will have [his own] up somewhere in downtown Indianapolis."

Indiana appears poised to dive deeper into its rebuild by trading Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, aiming to acquire two first-round picks from the Lakers while taking on Russell Westbrook's salary for one year. LA, however, still doesn't appear ready to offer two. 

Lakers: LeBron James signed a two-year, $97.1-million extension with Los Angeles, adding at least one more year to the Lakers' window with him and Anthony Davis. The commitment allows him to enter free agency when Bronny James is eligible to enter the NBA Draft with a 2024 player option.

The extension also raises inevitable questions about the competitiveness of this year's roster, Adrian Wojnarowski almost immediately ramping up the Kyrie Irving rhetoric. It's still hard to imagine Russell Westbrook and James playing another game together, and while James earned some serious guaranteed money for a 38-year-old, James and GM Rob Pelinka likely had discussions about the plan moving forward for the Lakers. Stay tuned. 

Memphis: The 18 national TV games in 2022-23 the Grizzlies earned after a heated second-round battle with the Warriors and historic season are a franchise record, the Commercial Appeal noted after the NBA released its slate of games for next year. They'll also play on Christmas and remain a staple of the league's important Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

Miami: Tyler Herro reacted to a summer of involvement in trade rumors, with the Heat reportedly inquiring on both Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell trades where Herro would inevitably be a centerpiece. Herro will enter restricted free agency next summer if he and the Heat don't come to terms on an extension, with the team currently showing little urgency to get it done. An extension would make Herro significantly more difficult to move, as it enacts the poison pill provision which creates imbalance between his incoming and outgoing salary totals in matching trade money. Oct. 18 looms as the extension deadline. 

"That’s just what it is,” Herro said. “I mean ever since I’ve been here, my name has been in rumors. So rumors, they don’t bother me. Whether I’m on the Heat or somewhere else, I’m getting ready for the season.”

New Orleans: The Pelicans are reportedly unwilling to offer Brandon Ingram for Kevin Durant after reports last week linked New Orleans with an Ingram-centered package to the stars. The Pels could be an intriguing trade partner even without Ingram, perhaps moving multiple young players, salaries and their boatload of own, Lakers and Bucks first-round picks to jumpstart a Brooklyn rebuild. It's hard to imagine the Pelicans even getting to the table without Ingram though, who's 24, signed for three seasons and shined in the playoffs against Phoenix. New Orleans, ahead of Zion Williamson's return, is another team like the Celtics who has little urgency to get a Durant deal done.

New York: The Jazz and Knicks have come back to the table after talks regarding a Donovan Mitchell deal fell apart weeks ago. Utah's asking price of New York picks came in high to start, and while the Hornets and Wizards have been named as rival contenders for star this looks like a legitimately one-team race of serious contenders. That hurts the Jazz, who may not have a leverage team, but the Knicks are up against Danny Ainge knowing he has Mitchell on a four-year deal with no rush to move him. There's a meeting point between these two sides, likely with the Knicks giving up many of their future picks, but showing some poise could save them one or two in the end. 

Philadelphia: Ben Simmons reportedly recovered $20 million of his salary from the 76ers, who had withheld his payments as he held out before a February trade to the Nets. Brooklyn inevitably paid him as he battled back and mental ailments that prevented him from taking the floor during the 2021-22 season, but the settlement is a major development ahead of other potential trade demands like Kevin Durant's leading stars to sit down. If teams can't stop paying players who don't play, what leverage do they have period to stop stars from effectively opting out of contracts whenever they want? Simmons had four years on his contract starting last year when he demanded a trade.

Phoenix: Former Suns and Team USA executive Jerry Colangelo assessed the possibility of Kevin Durant landing with the Suns in The Athletic. He favored a move where Chris Paul and Devin Booker remain in Phoenix, but with Deandre Ayton trade-ineligible until January there's a narrow path to get there. It'd have to involve Makil Bridges, Cam Johnson, salary filler and potentially all of Phoenix' available future first-round picks. The Bridges centerpieces isn't a dazzling return for the Nets, but it may end up being the best they can get if Durant doesn't return to the floor and fellow suitors don't step up their offers.

“Chris is near the end," Colangelo said. "I’m not saying he’s at the end. But if (Durant) can get a couple years with those two guys, they could be great years for the Suns. I’d love to see that.”