Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Breaks Silence On Botched Malcolm Brogdon Trade

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla says there is a “healing process” going on with Malcolm Brogdon, who was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers before his medical evaluation caused the Clippers to back out of the NBA trade.

Brogdon has a partial tear in the tendon coming out of his right elbow that leads into his forearm.

“There is a healing process, there is a listening process and to see where we are at and where we have to get to,” Mazzulla said, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “We’ve had some conversations as an organization but at the same time, we understand that’s the situation that it was and as the healing process goes on, we will move forward as well as you can.”

Brogdon won the Sixth Man of the Year Award last season. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 67 games while shooting 48.4% from the field, 44.4% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free-throw line.

The 2016-17 Rookie of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brogdon signed a two-year, $85 million contract extension with the Indiana Pacers in October 2021. He’ll make $22.5 million next season.

The Clippers re-engaged the Celtics about acquiring Brogdon, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. It looks like Boston rebuffed Los Angeles’ trade interest since Brogdon is still on the Celtics, who traded Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies and Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks and acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards this summer.

Brogdon has career averages of 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists with the Bucks, Pacers and Celtics. The 30-year-old was happy the Clippers didn’t acquire him since he wanted to stay in Boston, a league source told NBA Analysis Network.