How did the Celtics land Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers without trading away any core rotation players?
It helped that Boston was Brogdon's preferred destination.
Stream the Celtics all season on NBCSportsBoston.com or via the MyTeams App!
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio this week, the veteran guard revealed that the Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards were on his wish list after he and the Pacers agreed to part ways this offseason."The opportunity came up for me to move on from the Pacers," Brogdon said. "They worked with me great, allowing me to have a say in my transition, where I would go based on what the interest was. At the end of the day, we knew there was Boston, we knew Toronto, we knew (Washington) D.C."
According to Brogdon, the Wizards considered trading their 2022 first-round draft pick (No. 10 overall) for him but decided to hold off. That left Boston and Toronto.
"There wasn’t an offer on the table yet from either of them but the Pacers came to me and said we could pursue either of them and which one would I rather pursue?" Brogdon explained. "I choose Boston."
Why Boston? For Brogdon, the calculus was simple.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
"I thought this team was farther along," Brogdon said of the Celtics. "They have a superstar in Jayson Tatum and probably another superstar in Jaylen Brown as well. I thought it would be a great fit for me because I wanted to win right now."
Celtics Talk: UVA's Tony Bennett on reinvigorated Malcolm Brogdon: "He wants to win" | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Few would argue with Brogdon's rationale; the Celtics are returning essentially the same core that reached Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season and are led by a talented young duo in Tatum (24) and Brown (25). While the Raptors are no slouches -- they won 48 games in 2021-22 and have a potential franchise cornerstone in Scottie Barnes -- they clearly don't have a brighter outlook in the present or future than Boston.
It's a testament to what the Celtics have built that Brogdon saw them as the best path to winning in the Eastern Conference, and his addition should only bolster Boston's chances of returning to the Finals next June.