The Portland Trail Blazers' endless trade cycle continues. The team traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks for a package centered on Jrue Holiday. Then, the team traded Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics for a packaged centered on Malcolm Brogdon.
Rinse, repeat.
Portland is expected to keep other core pieces from their trade haul, such as Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, but Brogdon now arrives in a situation where he is not needed. The Blazers' rotation is littered with young guards who will take priority over the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, teams are expected to register interest in the 30-year-old. Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on .484/.444/.870 splits in 26.0 minutes per game last season.
He doesn't have the same reputation as Lillard or Holiday (nor should he), but Brogdon was the centerpiece of the Indiana Pacers' offense prior to his move to Boston. He has thrived in both a complementary role and in a starring role. He is dealing with an elbow injury and teams probably view Brogdon closer to a role player than a franchise-changer, but he's good enough to elevate the competitive ceiling of several teams.
Here are three organizations who should be especially aggressive in pursuing the Atlanta native.
No. 3 Malcolm Brogdon trade destination: Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have been on the outskirts of James Harden trade talks all summer, poking their head in but never gaining any real traction. Harden remains the ultimate prize for Los Angeles, but it's clear the Clippers would hesitate to spend real assets on a 34-year-old with Harden's track record of injuries, postseason collapses, and uncomfortable departures.
If the Clippers decide to abandon the Harden pursuit, look no further than Brogdon. He's nowhere near as talented, but he's exceedingly low maintenance with a skill set well suited to the Clippers' current group.
Brogdon can operate comfortably with or without the ball. He's one of the best spot-up shooters in the NBA, but he's also comfortable working out of pick-and-rolls and spearheading the offense. He doesn't possess an elite first step or outlier athleticism, but Brogdon is strong and crafty and smart. He plays with a great deal of poise, consistently making the correct read and never getting sped up.
Brogdon would probably start over Russell Westbrook at point guard, but he could also start next to Westbrook. Los Angeles has a nice depth chart, complete with mid-tier salaries like Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and Marcus Morris. Los Angeles would have to give up something to match Brogdon's $22.5 million contract, but the price should be low enough to make the Clippers a genuine candidate.
No. 2 Malcolm Brogdon trade destination: Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers never really had a shot at Damian Lillard. Jrue Holiday wasn't realistically on the table either with the tepid James Harden market. Now, it's time for Plan C as Harden's holdout bleeds into media day. Brogdon should be relatively cheap compared to his ceiling as a player. His skill set fits ideally with the current group and he's an adequate Harden replacement (or backup, if Harden eventually returns).
Brogdon once stole Rookie of the Year from Joel Embiid. Their careers have followed vastly different trajectories in the intervening years, but the two are a near-perfect marriage on paper. Brogdon is an elite shooter, especially when he's not asked to carry the primary offensive burden. With Joel Embiid facing up on the elbow and Tyrese Maxey sprinting to the rim, Brogdon would be well positioned to function as connective tissue with his quick processing and buttery shooting.
The Sixers would have two above-40 percent 3-point shooters in the backcourt. Brogdon isn't the elite set-up man Harden is (or was), but he can take ball-handling duties in the halfcourt. That allows Maxey to play to his strengths attacking off the catch. It also gives Embiid various options when it comes to two-man actions on the perimeter. Harden embraced the catch-and-shoot 3s more in his second season with the Sixers, but Brogdon is far less reluctant to fire off a DHO or a kick-out. That should pay dividends for Nick Nurse's offense.
When he's right, Brogdon is a highly efficient 20-point threat with a scalable skill set and the ability to defend a few positions. The Sixers will need another point guard if Harden doesn't show up. There's no room to allow Patrick Beverley or De'Anthony Melton to run the offense in 2023. Not when the goal is to build a consistent winner around Embiid.
The financials of a Brogdon trade are a little tricky for Philadelphia, but a package of P.J. Tucker and one more mid-tier contract gets them in the ballpark. Or, maybe a three-team deal involving Harden finally comes to fruition, and the Sixers can nab Brogdon while also stockpiling future trade assets.
No. 1 Malcolm Brogdon trade destination: Miami Heat
The Miami Heat's point guard depth is a tad shallow these days. Gabe Vincent left for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency and Miami never really signed a replacement. The obvious goal was to bring Damian Lillard into the fold before training camp, but that didn't work out. Brogdon makes an excellent pivot.
There are injury and age concerns with Brogdon, but again, he's a former offensive centerpiece who can scale up or down depending on the personnel situation. The Heat desperately need another shooter on the perimeter, and Brogdon's playmaking would ease Jimmy Butler's burden in the halfcourt offense.
Right now, Miami's "point guard" depth chart essentially boils down to Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, or Josh Richardson. Lowry is the only point guard by trade, and but he's way past his prime and better left in the sixth man role. Herro can't defend; Richardson can't pass. Brogdon checks a lot of boxes while maintaining effectiveness away from the ball. Butler is the Heat's real offensive engine, but Brogdon would be invaluable connective tissue.
Miami truly struggled behind the 3-point line in the regular season. The playoffs were a different story — as evidenced by the team's historic run to the NBA Finals — but it's better to rely on 82 games worth of data, rather than an aberrational hot streak. Herro and Duncan Robinson are great volume shooters, but both get played off the floor defensively. Brogdon can stimulate Miami's 3-point numbers while also defending at an adequate level late in games.
Brogdon's reputation is probably on shakier ground than it should be on the heels of a Sixth Man of the Year campaign. The Heat are notorious for squeezing the most out of their veterans, even those discarded or discounted elsewhere. It's unwise to predict Brogdon's return to his borderline All-Star status of yesteryear, but with the Heat, anything is possible.