Ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, former Portland Trail Blazers point guard Malcolm Brogdon traded his expiring $22.5 million contract to the Washington Wizards as part of Joe Cronin’s cost-cutting measures.
The 6-foot-4 veteran was sent to Washington along with eventual 2024 No. 14 draft pick Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks. In return, Portland received projected new starting small forward Deni Avdija, who is currently under a four-year, $55 million contract that will be paid out through the 2027-28 season.
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Avdija is an intriguing player with a lot of potential and fits well into Portland’s rebuilding timeline at just 23 years old. Last season, Avdija finished sixth in Most Improved Player voting and averaged career-highs of 14.7 points (.506 shooting/.374 on-base/.740 slugging), 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists to go along with 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks in 75 healthy games.
But what about Brogdon?
Brogdon, who was named Rookie of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2017 and Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics in 2023, has had health issues throughout his career and in his lone season with the Trail Blazers he appeared in just 39 games (25 starts) averaging 15.7 points, .440/.412/.819 with 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 steals.
Still, he’s been a key contributor for Eastern Conference playoff-failure teams over the years, including the Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Celtics, and with just 100 days until his 32nd birthday, he can’t afford to waste even one season with a team that went 15-67 last year and is destined to keep swimming in the lottery for years to come.
Yes, the team will get two rookies, lottery pick Carrington and No. 2 pick Alex Sarr, as well as No. 24 pick Kai’Sean George out of the University of Miami.
The Wizards also signed Jonas Valanciunas, a 32-year-old starting center looking to win. Valanciunas, like Brogdon, should be a solid veteran presence while he’s with the team. Both players are on pretty reasonable contracts (Valanciunas is on a three-season, $30 million deal) and could easily be traded at the end of this season. But the big problem with Brogdon’s contract is that it’s a bit too expensive for a player with his injury history. Would a championship-contending team really want his big money? Or could they send him to a team looking to clear cap space for a bold free-agent move in 2025?
There’s a third option, of course: Brogdon could negotiate a buyout of his current contract and then sign with a new team on a cheap “prove it” deal. However, Brogdon is at high risk for injury at this point, so it seems unlikely he’d part with that kind of guaranteed money. But it would be a win-win for both sides if Washington moves forward.
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