Ex-Celtic Malcolm Brogdon says he has made peace after ‘personal’ trade from Boston
"I've made peace with the situation and have moved on. I'm in a good place now."
Malcolm Brogdon’s time with the Celtics was short, but impactful.
He won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year his only season with the Celtics in 2022-23, helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Then, he, Robert Williams III, and draft assets, were flipped to the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday.
Brogdon, now with the Washington Wizards, said the trade worked out for the Celtics, who won the NBA title last year after adding Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
But, he also shed some light on why such trades can feel personal.
“Guys get traded every year. I think for teams, a lot of the time, it’s not personal, it’s a business decision. For players, it is personal,” Brogdon said in a video posted by CLNS Media. “You’re uprooting your family at the end of the day. You’re moving to a new city. You’re having to adjust to a situation. But, honestly, it was a good trade for them. We’ll both be good in the long run.”
Asked to elaborate further on his frustrations with the Celtics at the time of the trade, Brogdon said he did not want to broach the subject.
“Honestly, I’m not even in a position anymore where I even talk about it,” Brogdon said, shaking his head. “I’ve made peace with the situation and have moved on. I’m in a good place now.”
Brogdon said going from a winning situation with the Celtics to a pair of rebuilding situations in Washington and Portland required mental adjustments. Washington acquired Brogdon from Portland in a trade for Deni Avdija last summer.
“It’s definitely a mindset shift,” Brogdon said. “You go from a championship caliber team to a team that’s trying to rebuild the right way in Portland then to a team in Washington that’s sort of trying to re-tool and build it the right way.
“For me, it’s just about leading and being myself in these situations and keeping my game sharp. That’s what I can control.”
Jaylen Brown said seeing players such as Brogdon and Williams, who endured playoff battles with the Celtics but were traded before the team made it over the hump and won the Finals, is a good feeling.
“It’s family. A lot of those guys, we were in the trenches with,” Brown said. “A lot of adversity just maneuvering through different seasons and it’s just always great to see them and know their family is doing well. To know that their mind is in a good place and are in good spirits is good.”
“Obviously we all know it’s a business, things happen, you move on,” he added. “I think that’s a part of it. But, just to know that they’re doing well outside of basketball and they’re continuing to be in good spirits is really all you can do.”
Brogdon, 31, is a former Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. He’s a veteran presence on a young, struggling Wizards team. Washington’s record dropped to 2-12 with the loss to the Celtics.
After coming off the bench in Boston, he is being counted on for leadership in Washington.
“You play with the cards you are dealt. At a certain point. Of course things change. Things change for every player at some point in their career,” Brogdon said. “For me, it has changed a few times over the past couple of years. For me, it’s embracing the situation that you’re in. I’ve been tasked here to lead with the young guys and with this growing team. I’m enjoying it.”
Brogdon posted an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in the loss to Boston. The game was close throughout, but the Celtics pulled away for a 12-point victory. He said he enjoyed competing against the Celtics and the way they closed the game showed why they are the defending champions.
“They’re a very well-rounded team, the way they’re constructed,” Brogdon said. “I think the Jays together, people have always criticized them over the years. They can’t play together, their games are too similar, they’ve heard it all.
I think they’ve come together and figured out how to play well and mesh well on the court on both ends. They’ve embraced the defensive side and learned how to play together on offense. I think they’re great, man. They’re the best duo in the NBA right now. That’s what you see every night.”
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