Malcolm Brogdon

Report: Clippers still engaging Celtics in Brogdon trade talks

Could the Clippers play a role in bringing Jrue Holiday to Boston?

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The Los Angeles Clippers nearly traded for Malcolm Brogdon earlier this summer -- and it appears their pursuit of the veteran Boston Celtics guard isn't over.

The Clippers "have continued to engage the Celtics in trade talks" for Brogdon "throughout the offseason," The Athletic's Jared Weiss reported Friday, citing league sources.

The Celtics, Clippers and Washington Wizards came close to pulling off a three-team trade in late June that would have sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston and Brogdon to Los Angeles, but the trade fell apart at the last minute, reportedly because the Clippers didn't have time to complete a physical exam on Brogdon, who dealt with a forearm injury in the 2023 playoffs.

The Celtics still landed Porzingis by dealing Marcus Smart to Memphis as part of a new three-team deal, but Brogdon reportedly was "angry" with the team over how the whole situation played out. While Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said recently he's had several conversations with Brogdon since then to smooth things over, it appears there's still a possibility the 30-year-old gets moved before training camp begins next week.

What would a Brogdon-to-L.A. trade look like? One possibility is that the Clippers join the Trail Blazers and Celtics as part of a three-team deal that sends Jrue Holiday from Portland to Boston. The Clippers also reportedly are interested in Holiday, however, so it seems unlikely that L.A. would help Boston land the superior player in Holiday unless it received valuable assets from either the Celtics or Blazers in return.

Another possibility is a separate deal between the Celtics and Clippers if Holiday winds up elsewhere. It's unclear what Boston would want in return, however. While role players like Robert Covington, Terance Mann and Norman Powell could bolster the Celtics' wing depth, the C's already are down a point guard after trading Smart and may prefer to keep Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, as a starting-caliber backup behind Derrick White.

Boston kicks off its training camp next Tuesday, so the clock is ticking if Stevens wants to find a way to land Holiday and/or strike a deal with the Clippers involving Brogdon.

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