Malcolm Brogdon is the forgotten member of the previous era of the Indiana Pacers. After signing a massive four-year, $85 million extension last season, Brogdon was sidelined for the majority of his 2021-22 NBA campaign with injury.
Now with Domantas Sabonis shipped off and a new face of the franchise in town in Tyrese Haliburton, Brogdon at 28 years old holds more value for Indiana as a trade asset than an actual piece of their core.
While possibly a little overpaid, Brogdon’s solid two-way play and steady hand at the point guard position should still entice a potential contender to pay a decent haul in return for his services. Point guard is arguably the deepest position in the league, but Brogdon is a high-caliber starter when healthy and would be a welcome addition for any team without a superstar floor general already on the roster.
There are sure to be several teams interested in trading for the former Virginia Cavalier. For example, the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics are all teams expected to compete for the title next season that could use an upgrade at the point guard position.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Trade Sends Indiana Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon To Miami Heat
A dark-horse suitor for the Indiana Pacers’ veteran, though, should be the Miami Heat. After flunking out of the 2021 playoffs in the first round, ousted at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami sought to improve their offensive consistency and add more perimeter shot creation by trading for Kyle Lowry.
While the former Toronto Raptor and NBA champion brought a reliable veteran presence and steady two-way play to the backcourt for the Heat in his first season, his contributions could be deemed subpar considering his price tag.
Miami sent prospective big man Precious Achuiwa along with veteran point guard and fan favorite Goran Dragic to the Raptors to obtain the rights to pay Lowry $85 million over three years. In his first regular-season in South Beach, he put up just 13.4 points and 7.5 assists on 44 percent shooting. He also missed 19 games.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Trade Sends Indiana Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon To Miami Heat
The Miami Heat proved unable to win it all with Lowry’s struggles playing a role in their shortcomings. Unless they have confidence he’ll be able to find his Toronto form after a full offseason, Miami will probably be looking to bring in additional guard talent this offseason.
Malcolm Brogdon perfectly fits the Miami Heat culture. He’s a requisite professional, exerts equal effort on both ends of the court, and has the versatility to play and fill multiple roles. There’s a reason he’s nicknamed “The President.”
The Miami Heat have the goods to trade for Brogdon while retaining their core pieces to continue their title chase. Duncan Robinson’s lack of defense led him to fall out of Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra’s favor, but his shooting prowess is still an asset to the 29 other teams in the league.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Trade Sends Indiana Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon To Miami Heat
Miami also unearthed an intriguing young big man in Omer Yurtseven this past season and happens to have possession of nearly all of their future first-round picks. A package around Robinson, Yurtseven, and a future first-round selection or two should be a hefty enough package to bring Malcolm Brogdon to South Beach and form a new juggernaut in the Eastern Conference.
