Celtics trade for Brogdon, Sign Gallinari
JuLY 14, 2022
The Boston Celtics started the free agency period quietly, not making a single move on day one. They had limited resources to work with going into the off-season, holding no cap space, but they held multiple traded player exceptions, including one worth $17.1 million from the Evan Fournier sign and trade deal last off-season with the Knicks. Along with those trade exceptions, the Celtics were armed with only the taxpayers mid-level exception - worth roughly $6.5 million per year- and minimum contracts to offer. The Celtics weren’t exactly primed to be big spenders in free agency, but they had enough ammunition to add depth and improve the team on the margins. A team, that is, that just went to the NBA Finals and came up just short of winning a title with a young roster and a rookie head coach. Things were looking good going into the off-season for the Celtics, but fireworks and big splashes weren’t necessarily expected (or needed). All of this made it pretty normal, and almost expected, that the Celtics essentially sat out day one of free agency, allowing their competitors to toss around big money at the flashy names (frankly there weren’t a lot of stars changing hands - purely via free agency).
But Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office were able to pull off a decent sized splash, and they managed to do it without using any of their available exceptions. Instead, the Celtics were able to pull off a somewhat unexpected trade (seemingly out of nowhere) to acquire a player who makes more than the Fournier TPE by matching salaries. That trade landed Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, and a top-12 protected 2023 first round draft pick. This trade continued trends that have become apparent since Brad Stevens took over for Danny Ainge after the 2021 season. One of those trends is prioritizing established, proven players under contract over mid to late first round draft picks. Immediately after taking over, Stevens dealt the team’s 2021 first round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder to dump Kemba Walker’s contract, but also to bring back Al Horford. Then at the 2022 trade deadline Brad shipped the team’s 2022 first round pick to San Antonio (along with Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford) to acquire Derrick White. And now, only a day into 2022 free agency, Stevens has moved the team’s 2023 first round pick (along with a bevy of deep bench players) for Malcolm Brogdon. The other trend that seems like a marked change from the Danny Ainge era is the lack of rumors and gossip surrounding the team’s transactions. Celtics fans became all too familiar with the rhetoric that the Celtics had just missed out on every star free agent, or trade candidate. The team was involved in almost every rumor, but these deals rarely seemed to come to fruition. Despite Ainge’s stellar resume and overall body of work in Boston, it became tiresome trying to figure out what the team was up to, and sorting out the truth from the many layers of BS. The Stevens regime on the other hand, seems intent on keeping things close to the vest. The Celtics have been involved in very few rumors since he took over and most of their moves have come completely out of nowhere, with little hype of fanfare. Ainge appeared to hold his cards close and ultimately was rarely willing to give up the final sweetener to get deals done, whereas Stevens clearly has no problem moving marginal talent and draft picks for players he wants.
What the Celtics are getting in Malcolm Brogdon is a six-year NBA veteran who has flashed all-star upside at his best, but has struggled to stay on the court, especially recently, due to injury. Brogdon is a 29 year old, 6’5” combo guard who has proven he can play well with or without the ball. He played four years at the University of Virginia, winning ACC Player of the Year honors as a senior and being named first team all-american. Despite that, Brogdon fell to the second round of the draft (largely due to his age), but put together a stellar season, winning NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2016-17 season. He proved to be an elite role player for the Bucks, averaging 15.6 PPG in his third season and becoming only the eight (at the time, Kyrie Irving has since joined the club) player in NBA history to join the 50/40/90 club - averaging 50%+ shooting from the floor, 40%+ from three point range, and 90%+ from the free throw line for an entire season. Despite the breakout season (and perhaps partially because of it), the Bucks were unable to retain Brogdon and he was sign & traded to the Indiana Pacers with whom he signed a four-year $85 million contract extension and was immediately thrust into a more prominent role as a primary ball-handler and offensive initiator. He proved up to the task, averaging over seven assists per game, but saw his shooting and efficiency numbers dip across the board. In his second year in Indiana, Brogdon put together a career high scoring campaign with 21.2 PPG to go along with 5.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds. During different times in his NBA career, he has proved able to do just about everything you would ask an offensive player of his size, but he has struggled to do it all together, consistently. He was probably overtasked with being a main cog in the Pacers offensive, and it didn’t lead to consistent winning. Indiana is clearly taking a different approach and starting a rebuild around their young core, including Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, and now Bennedict Mathurin. There was no room in that backcourt for a 29 year-old Brogdon, making $22.6 million this upcoming season. So the Pacers were looking to get off of Brogdon and his contract, and were happy to add a first round pick along with a recent lottery pick in Aaron Nesmith. While Nesmith was never able to click in Boston, he showed flashes of what he can bring on both ends and could be able to find his role given a larger opportunity playing for a young Pacers team free of expectations.
So the Celtics were able to add a guy who can run the offense or play on the wing. He has shown the ability to shoot - both off the catch and off the dribble - plus get to the basket and finish with great efficiency. Brogdon is also a willing ball-mover, and somebody who can set the table for his teammates. He’s done well in both a primary role and more of a secondary role at different times in his career. So naturally people have already begun to wonder what Brogdon’s role will be with the Celtics. And therein lies the beauty of this move; he can be used like a swiss army knife, filling whatever role is needed. Perhaps the biggest issue for the Celtics in the finals was their lack of depth and flexibility. Brogdon, at least in theory, should help massively in that regard. He will likely start the season in a sixth man role, coming off the bench - as there is no reason to mess with one of the best starting lineups in the league. Brogdon’s versatility will allow him to come in and play with almost any lineup combination that Ime Udoka and his staff may want in a given situation. Brogdon can play alongside Marcus Smart (and even Derrick White), in an off-ball role, cutting and spotting up while his teammates initiate offense. He could also come in as the loan guard, running the offense and setting the table for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Along with his diverse offensive skillset, Brogdon is a very good defender, and his 6’5” frame allows him to cover multiple positions. The guard rotation of Smart/Brogdon/White is immediately one of the best and most versatile groups in the entire league, and Malcolm should be a seamless fit with the already elite Boston defense.
Furthermore, since the trade, Brogdon has already expressed that his only desire is to win a championship, and that he is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal with the Celtics. Brogdon should give the team more options and more countermoves to other teams they may face, as they can now truly play big or small in a variety of ways without sacrificing offense or defense; a luxury that the team sought in 2021-22, but never quite fully achieved, especially as the bench disappeared in the finals. Another nice element of this trade is simply the added depth, allowing for many of the key players (including Brogdon, himself) to play much fewer minutes, and hopefully stay fresh and healthy for a long playoff run. The team was great last season, but they were overworked and it started to show up in the finals. This has been an issue for Brogdon as well, as the biggest knock on him over the course of his career has been his inability to stay on the court. He played 75 games in his rookie year, but since then has played in 48, 64, 54, 56, and mostly recently just 36 games. He has missed time in each of the last five seasons with a variety of different ailments including an achilles injury last season (although it’s conceivable that he could have played but the Pacers held him out to improve their draft pick). Hopefully, joining a deep, contending team like the Celtics will allow Brogdon to play fewer minutes and have more scheduled rest. A reduced role will ideally bring out the best in Brogdon when he is needed most. If he can stay on the court he should be a near-perfect addition to this Celtics team, but admittedly, that is a big “if”.
Brogdon is under contract for three more years and about $67 million. If he stays healthy, this will be seen as a steal, and another player in his prime who is under long term team control for the Celtics. If things go poorly, it will look like a bloated contract, but not one that is untradeable, and in a worst-case scenario, his contract can likely be used as a matching salary in a move down the road. The other good news for the Celtics is that there was virtually no downside or immediate risk involved. The Celtics were able to add a player who should factor in prominently and fits their style and timeline, without sacrificing anyone who was part of their top 8-man rotation. Barring a disaster, the team should be very good again, so the pick will likely fall in the mid or late 20s. This is exactly the type of move that Celtics fans should want to see, as it is a clear win-now move and shows that ownership is willing to spend well into the luxury tax, but also a move that has virtually no risk involved whatsoever. I’d have to imagine it’s hard for even the staunchest Celtics-hater to be critical of this move, even if they are dubious of the contract and injury history (both are a bit overblown in my humble opinion).
Along with the big trade, the Celtics also made a bit of a splash in free agency, using their Taxpayers Mid Level Exception to sign Danilo Gallinari to a two year, $13.3 million contract with the second year being a player option. The veteran Italian forward spent the past two seasons in Atlanta before the Hawks dealt him along with a bevy of picks to the Spurs in the Dejounte Murray blockbuster deal. The Spurs are leaning all the way into their rebuild, so the team waived Gallinari, which allowed him to sign with Boston where he hopes to win a ring for the first time in his 13 year career.
After being drafted 6th overall in the 2008 NBA draft as a highly touted prospect out of Italy, Gallinari made his bones in the NBA as a good (and sometimes great) scorer and shooter, providing great floor spacing, great touch and footwork, and an intuitive knack for shotmaking with a 6’10” frame. He has averaged 15.6 ppg over the course of his career, topping out in 2018-19 when he posted career highs with 19.8 ppg on 46% shooting and 43% three point shooting to go along with 6.1 rebound per game. But he has started to show signs of aging in recent years, and has seen his minutes dip into the low 20s on a nightly basis while struggling through an assortment of injuries. But the Celtics won’t be looking for prime Gallinari, they are looking for some shooting and scoring punch off the bench with some positional versatility, and overall depth. If healthy, that should be exactly what Danilo can provide in Boston. Even in the past two years, as a bench player for the Hawks, Gallinari was able to average over 11 points and 4 rebounds in each season, shooting 38% and 40% from three and over 90% from the free throw line. He was never the quickest or most athletic player, but those elements have seriously waned in recent years. Gallo has become a fairly one dimensional player, rarely drifting far beyond the three point line on offense, spotting up and waiting for kick outs, where he can still punish a defense with shooting.
In Danilo Gallinari, the Celtics are getting a veteran who is ready to embrace a smaller role with the lone goal of winning an NBA championship. Much like Brogdon, Gallinari will help the Celtics with their greatest weaknesses; depth, shooting, and scoring. He leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end, especially these days with his limited motion, but he is adept at using his body to keep players in front of him. Plus with his size he is a capable post defender and can hang with some centers, which should allow guys like Robert Williams to roam around the back line and protect the rim - something that is not a strength for Gallinari. The Celtics made the finals last season mostly due to their elite defense, and clearly they feel that they have enough elite defenders to cover up for someone who is a bit of a liability, in exchange for an added scoring punch which Danilo should provide. Gallinari will help provide extra rest for guys like Tatum, Brown, and Horford, while also being able to play with those guys, as well as fitting into almost any type of lineup that Ime Udoka and the Celtics want to utilize. The Celtics haven’t had a player who can truly stretch the floor with elite shooting in the way Gallinari can for a long time. Teams will not be able to cheat away from him to close the lanes when the Jays are driving. Defenders will have to stay glued to him, or risk giving up wide open looks to a deadly shooter. He is exactly the type of player who should alleviate much of the burden from the Jays, especially, to create virtually the entire offense.
So in short order, the Celtics added two players to boost their bench and depth without sacrificing any players from last season’s playoff rotation. The Celtics can now comfortably go nine or ten men deep each night against any team. The veterans and stars will get plenty of opportunities to rest, and the team should largely be able to stay fresh for the playoffs without sacrificing regular season wins. Furthermore, the team can throw out an incredible variety of lineups, playing incredibly small OR big without any real drop off. Brogdon and Gallinari are veterans who are ready to embrace smaller roles with the lone goal of winning. The roster may not be quite finished, and isn’t quite perfect (they could probably use another backup center to replace Theis…although that player may already be on the Summer League roster, as Trevion Williams and Mfiondu Kabengele have shown some promise), but on paper this is shaping up to be one of the best teams in the NBA - if not the very best. These moves indicate that the Celtics know they are close, and the front office has committed to opening up their wallets to ensure that the team is well positioned to make run after run at championships. As a Celtics fan, this is a very exciting time. It’s hard to quibble with much of anything that Brad Stevens and the Celtics have done so far this offseason. I’ll be back soon with a Summer League recap and breaking down how the Celts final roster could shake out.
Ben Handler