76ers Rival Celtics Dealing With Unhappy Key Player

76ers rival Celtics are rumored to have a disgruntled player on their hands with Malcolm Brogdon.

The 2022 Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics followed up their near-championship run with another appearance in the Conference Finals this past postseason. After taking down the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston couldn’t punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for a second straight season.

While the Celtics are still viewed as contenders in the East heading into the 2023-2024 NBA season, they could have their hands full with some drama once again, as a Boston-based reporter recently mentioned the Sixers’ rival has a disgruntled player on its hands.

Boston Celtics' Malcolm Brogdon facing the Philadelphia 76ers.  / USA Today

Drama With Brogdon?

Discussing the state of the Celtics on ‘The Celtics Beat’ podcast, Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn mentioned that there is some uncertainty regarding the veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon as training camp approaches this offseason.

“We’ll see how Malcolm is, Malcolm’s the one I’m concerned about, too, because we’ve heard nothing, and he’s angry with the team,” Washburn said. “I don’t think communication between the two sides has been fruitful. He might just say, ‘Listen, I’m not getting surgery. I’m just gonna let this heal, and you’ll have to wait for me.’”

The Celtics looked to make some key changes after failing to accomplish their ultimate goal of winning a title. In late June, the Celtics participated in a three-team trade involving the Memphis Grizzles and the Washington Wizards.

As Boston pursued the veteran center Kristaps Porzingis, they landed the center by shipping out Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and, most notably, Marcus Smart, who will play for the Grizzlies next season after spending the last nine years in Boston. 

During their pursuit of Porzingis, the Celtics made some enemies with the players they shipped out, as it lit a fire under them. Brogdon seems to be in a similar boat, even though he wasn’t a part of the final three-team deal that landed Boston the big man.

Before the Grizzlies entered the trade as a surprising suitors, the Los Angeles Clippers were willing to help Washington and Boston out. Initially, the Celtics were able to hold onto Smart and would instead ship out the recently acquired Brogdon to Los Angeles. Although the trade was in done-deal-territory, the Clippers backed out due to Brogdon’s health after an injury-riddled playoff run.

Brogdon remains in Boston months later, but the damage has been done. 

Good News for the Sixers?

Look, any amount of turmoil to a division rival is bound to become something a team will keep an eye on, but the Sixers likely understand that the Celtics will still be a threat in the Atlantic with or without Brogdon on the floor for them.

The core duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remains intact. Now, Porzingis is in the mix, bolstering the Celtics’ frontcourt and giving them a boost on both sides of the floor.

That’s not to knock Brogdon, who had one stellar season with the Celtics last year. After a three-year run in Milwaukee, followed by a three-year run in Indiana, Brogdon boosted the Celtics’ bench after getting traded ahead of the 2022-2023 season. 

In 67 games, Brogdon averaged 26 minutes on the floor. He averaged 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists while knocking down a career-high 44 percent from three.

His regular season contributions earned him Sixth Man of the Year honors, which was his first solo award since his Rookie of the Year nod in 2017. After a successful regular season, Brogdon put up 12 points per game while hitting 38 percent of his threes in the playoffs. 

Against the Sixers in the second round, the Celtics’ standout drilled 52 percent of his threes while producing 16 points per game. Brogdon’s future in Boston appears to be hazy. But if there is one thing we learned about the Celtics last season, it’s that even a major change and distraction ahead of training camp can’t shake them.