Inside The Wizards

Injury Preventing Wizards From Malcolm Brogdon Decision

The Washington Wizards can't evaluate Malcolm Brogdon's fit with the team.

Jeremy Brener

Sep 30, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) poses for a portrait during Washington Wizards media day 2024 at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Sep 30, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) poses for a portrait during Washington Wizards media day 2024 at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards made the decision to add some veteran leadership in the backcourt this offseason by trading for Malcolm Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers.

Brogdon suffered a thumb injury during the preseason and needed surgery to repair it, meaning he has yet to make his Wizards debut. On top of that, he has an expiring contract, so the Wizards are still in limbo in regards to what to do with him and the team's future.

"The Wizards don't have any rookie-scale extension-eligible players. The franchise is rebuilding and seems unlikely to keep any pending free agents," Bleacher Report contributor Eric Pincus writes. "Perhaps Brogdon is on the list as a veteran presence on a reasonable contract near the NTMLE. Or he could go out in a sign-and-trade or even in a deal before February's deadline."

For a young team, having someone like Brogdon would be beneficial in the long run. However, the Wizards shouldn't compromise their future in order to keep Brogdon.

Once he is available to return, the Wizards will have difficult decisions to make in regards to whether to give rookie point guard Bub Carrington minutes or if Brogdon will eat into some of that.

There's a benefit to giving Brogdon minutes as it gives the offense a steady hand that won't commit a ton of turnovers. Wizards coach Brian Keefe will be given the difficult task to try to walk along the fine line of playing Brogdon in order to help other players on the team or employ Carrington, giving him more reps and experience to help him for the future.

Brogdon remains on the sidelines for the Wizards as they play in their Emirates NBA Cup opening game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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