In 2021–22 and 2022–23, your Portland Trail Blazers were, to be fair, in the midst of their reconstruction, which they are now fully embracing.
Malcolm Brogdon, the Sixth Man of the Year, is a valuable veteran for the Trail Blazers who at least may have brought them some substantial future draft equity this season.
In a recent post-trade deadline episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, host Brian Windhorst conjectured that Portland appears to be strangely, uncompromisingly holding onto Brogdon (as well as Jerami Grant, whose exorbitant salary may have made him more difficult to deal with) in the hopes of improving into a competitive team the following season.
Brogdon, who sustains injuries crazily frequently, is already hurt once more. After receiving treatment for right elbow tendinitis last weekend, he will be sidelined for at least the next week, according to the Trail Blazers’ official X account. At that point, he will be reevaluated and maybe given the go-ahead to play.
The 6’4″ Virginia product’s $22.5 million deal is about to expire, so Portland needs to be certain it can either sign him again as a free agent or extend it before the end of the current campaign. If not, it simply squandered a fantastic chance to replenish its draft capital. The 31-year-old Brogdon is scoring 15.7 points per game with a slash line of.440/.412/.819, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game.
Grant signed a ridiculous five-year, $160 million contract last summer to remain with the Trail Blazers, a team that had missed the playoffs the previous two seasons. Although he is a capable two-way combo forward who can score and defend, his price tag might have put off potential opponents.
