Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon Gets Brutally Honest Amid Trade Buzz

Malcolm Brogdon wants to stay with the Boston Celtics and is optimistic he won’t need offseason surgery, according to NBA insider Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

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

“Brogdon, who also happens to be represented by Brown, wants to remain in Boston and is still optimistic he will avoid surgery on the tendon he tore in his left elbow against the Heat, according to sources familiar with Brogdon’s thinking who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record,” Weiss wrote.

The Celtics are looking to move a guard to improve other areas of the roster. Brogdon is the likeliest Boston guard to get traded this offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

“My podcast partner Chris Haynes reported Friday that Boston is looking to move out at least one of its guards to ease a backcourt logjam,” Stein wrote. “Word is the most likely of the group to be dealt, entering the weekend, was Malcolm Brogdon rather than Marcus Smart, Derrick White or Payton Pritchard.”

Brogdon won the Sixth Man of the Year Award this past season for Boston. 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 Phoenix Suns were interested in trading for Brogdon before acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.

The Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals in seven games after reaching the NBA Finals last year. Boston lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 Finals in six games.