Boston Celtics offseason questions #6: Can Malcolm Brogdon and the Celtics move forward together?

The Celtics are hoping this summer can bring the moves, staff hires, and internal improvement to get them the next couple of steps forward needed to win a title. This series looks at questions that need to be answered for that to happen.

Question 1: What will the new CBA do to this roster?

Question 2: How will the Kristaps Porzingis trade impact the Celtics?

Question 3: How does Joe Mazzulla grow as head coach?

Question 4: How many Celtics theoreticals become reality?

Question 5: Can Robert Williams finally become Boston’s X-factor?

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June 21 was a wild ride for the Celtics. News broke early on that the Celtics basically had the framework of a deal done to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. ESPN reported the framework of the deal: 

“The Celtics are working on a trade to acquire the Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team deal that sends Malcolm Brogdon to Clippers. LA would be sending Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey and 30th pick to Washington. Sides still have more work to do on an agreement,” tweeted Adrian Wojnarowski

That deal obviously never got done, but I can guarantee you that once it gets to that point, everyone involved in the deal is very well aware of what’s happening. I can’t say for certain who spoke to whom, but I feel pretty good that Brogdon was made aware of the deal and preparing for life as a Clipper when things fell apart. 

Suddenly, Marcus Smart was changing zip codes and Brogdon was not only sticking around in Boston, but he is now critically important for a team that needs him to reprise his role as Sixth Man of the Year. 

There are a lot of Gs in a turn that comes that fast. Feelings have been hurt. Even Joe Mazzulla couldn't pretend that everything was fine. 

“The organization has had a few conversations. I think anytime you are in a situation like that and you are in a relationship, you just have to take some small steps into it,” he recently said. “There is a healing process, there is a listening process and to see where we are at and where we have to get to. We've had some conversations as an organization but at the same time, we understand the situation that it was and as the healing process goes on, we will move forward as well as you can.”

Brogdon and the Celtics are now in a very difficult position. Brogdon is very aware that he is expendable to the Celtics. He is under contract for this year and next at $22.5 million, which is an especially steep price to pay for a backup point guard in this NBA economy. He was always an expensive option for a bench player, but the old rules under which he was acquired simply led to a bigger tax bill. That was palatable for Boston’s ownership group. 

But now Brogdon’s contract seems to be the most reasonable one on Boston’s cap sheet to be moved for some financial relief. And that remains true even after LA’s renege and Boston’s pivot to plan B. 

And so Brogdon and the Celtics find themselves in a bit of a pickle. 

Boston needs him as a player on the 2023-24 squad because he’s shown himself to be a very good backup. A year under his belt with Mazzulla and a summer understanding his role more completely could push him to be even better this upcoming season. Derrick White is getting the starting nod but he’s somewhat unproven in that role, so having Brogdon waiting in the wings is an incredible luxury for the team. 

At the same time, Brogdon is the most obvious candidate to be moved next summer because his $22.5 million can be used to drop Boston’s payroll without losing any of their top three stars. He’s capable of doing the same math as the rest of us, so he knows the Celtics not only need him on the floor, they need his contract around to keep the meaty part of their roster intact. Hell, they might trade him at the deadline if the right move comes along. 

You can like or dislike what Brad Stevens has done as a GM, but he’s very clearly not afraid of making a deal involving a popular player. The first thing he did was trade Kemba Walker, so he has no fear. He is a strong family man and he has that very polite midwestern demeanor, but Stevens can be as cold-blooded as anyone in a front office role. 

So how do the Celtics and Brogdon move forward? 

If anyone is professional enough to make that step, it’s Brogdon. He understands the business of the NBA. He gets that the way he handles this upcoming season will be watched by everyone, and if he navigates it with true professionalism, then teams will be more likely to want him because of how stable he can be. 

We can even spin that into a positive for the Celtics because Brogdon won’t be the only one involved in trade rumors in that locker room. If the rest of the team sees him handling his business without an outward hint of animosity, then they’ll have a better idea of how to handle uncomfortable situations. 

But human beings have feelings, and Brogdon’s feelings are undoubtedly hurt. The situation is very obviously uncomfortable and when that's the case, the possibility of diminished performance exists. And Boston can’t afford that. 

It puts Brogdon in an awkward spot, because the Celtics basically said “we don’t need you” in the morning and “we really need you” in the evening, and Brogdon knows the turnaround is because the Celtics are stuck. 

The Celtics need Brogdon more now than they did last season. They need him to be healthy (which is still unclear) and not only do what he did last season, but build on that as more of a distributor and defender than he was. Brogdon is going to have to learn how to play with Porzingis and also set up Oshae Brissett to succeed. He’s going to have to figure out how to make his combination with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown work better than it did last season. They need him to help mentor White a little bit as he grows into a full-time starting point guard on a championship-level team. 

Brogdon is both critically important to this team’s success and expendable from a financial standpoint. It’s a weird spot for him and for the team. If he can’t figure out how to swim in these waters, he could drag the whole team under with him.