Inside The Celtics

The Latest on Malcolm Brogdon's Forearm Strain

The Clippers were poised to acquire Brogdon in the initial framework of the trade bringing Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics' pursuit of Kristaps Porzingis started with an offer centering around sending Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers. But when those talks fell through, the Grizzlies were looped in to get the deal across the finish line.

Boston's acquiring the former All-Star center, the 25th pick in Thursday's draft, and a top-four protected 2024 first-round selection via the Warriors.

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Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Memphis adds Marcus Smart, who until now was the longest-tenured player on the Celtics. They never missed the playoffs in his nine years in Boston.

Now, the heart and soul of the organization and a culture setter joins the Grizzlies, where he'll help keep them afloat while Ja Morant serves his 25-game suspension. He'll then pair well with the former All-NBA guard once Morant returns.

As for the Wizards, Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and the 35th pick in this year's draft are going to Washington.

In an appearance on Get Up, ESPN's Brian Windhorst conveyed, "Brogdon has a health issue, a health issue that, as I understand, is so significant that not only can the Celtics not do this trade, there's probably no Malcolm Brogdon trade that they can do in the short term."

According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Los Angeles backed off its pursuit of Brogdon because it didn't have enough time to complete a physical.

He adds that it remains unclear whether the Sixth Man of the Year needs surgery to address the forearm strain that compromised him in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the belief is that even if Brogdon has to go under the knife, he'll be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

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David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Not only does that suggest the Clippers would've likely felt comfortable acquiring Brogdon if they had time to give him a physical exam, but an agreement probably could've been reached to push back the deadline for Porzingis to exercise his $36 million player option.

He had until midnight ET on Wednesday to do so. His opting in made it much easier to facilitate this trade. There isn't an incentive for Porzingis not to agree to move the deadline for his decision. While the Celtics must feel good about this deal and have the rest of the summer to upgrade their roster, rushing to beat the deadline in place is what cost them Smart.

Further Reading

After Trading Marcus Smart, Acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Where Do Celtics Go from Here?

Marcus Smart Felt "Shock" and "Hurt" Over Trade From Boston Celtics

Celtics Acquire Kristaps Porzingis, Trade Marcus Smart to Grizzlies in Blockbuster Deal

Grant Williams Not Expected Back If Celtics Acquire Kristaps Porzingis

Marcus Smart Discusses Celtics' Identity, Relationship with Jaylen Brown, Boston's Coaching Hires, and Pursuit of Banner 18

Celtics Add Former Teammate of Jayson Tatum to Coaching Staff

Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Marcus Sasser

Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Julian Strawther

Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Jordan Walsh

Rick Barry Says Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Suffer From “Westbrook Syndrome”

Rick Barry Discusses Nearly Joining Celtics, Shares His Perspective on Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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