Will Traded Former Blazer Finish Career with New Team?

His window for winning is a bit finite, after all.

Nov 26, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots against Portland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon (11) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, former Portland Trail Blazers point guard Malcolm Brogdon saw his $22.5 million expiring contract shipped out to the Washington Wizards in a cost-cutting Joe Cronin move.

The 6-foot-4 vet was sent out to Washington, along with the rights to eventual 2024 No. 14 draft selection Carlton "Bub" Carrington, a 2029 first round pick, and two second round draft selections. In return, Portland brought in presumed new starting small forward Deni Avdija — who's currently signed on a four-year, $55 million deal that will pay him through the 2027-28 season.

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Avdija is an intriguing, higher-upside piece, and at still just 23 he aligns well with Portland's rebuilding timeline. Last season, he averaged Last year, Avdija finished sixth in Most Improved Player voting, averaging career highs of 14.7 points (on .506/.374/.740 shooting splits), 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, plus 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game in his 75 healthy contests.

But what will become of Brogdon?

The 2017 Rookie of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks and the 2023 Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics, Brogdon has been hampered by health issues throughout his career. To wit, he appeared in just 39 games (25 starts) during his lone season with the Trail Blazers, averaging 15.7 points on a .440/.412/.819 slash line, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals a night.

Still, he's been a critical contributor to some gritty Eastern Conference playoff also-rans in the Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and Celtics over the years. Given that he's about 100 days shy of his 32nd birthday, Brogdon can ill afford to waste even a single season playing for a team that went 15-67 last year and seems doomed to swim around the lottery for years to come.

Yes, the team is bringing in two rookie lottery picks in Carrington and No. 2 pick Alex Sar, along with No. 24 pick Kyshawn George out of the University of Miami.

The Wizards also signed win-now starting center Jonas Valanciunas, 32, who like Brogdon should be a steadying veteran presence while he's on the team. Both players are signed to pretty reasonable contracts (Valanciunas is on a three-season, $30 million deal), and could easily be traded at some point this season. The big issue with Brogdon's contract, however, is that it's a bit generous for someone with his injury resume. Will a contending team truly want to take on his money? Or could he also be sent to a team looking to clear up cap space for a bold free agency run in 2025?

There is, of course, a third option: Brogdon could negotiate a buyout of his current deal and sign with a new team on a cheap "prove-it" deal. Given that Brogdon is a major injury liability at this stage, however, it seems less likely he'll leave this kind of guaranteed coin on the table. But it would behoove both parties if Washington moved on.

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