The Warriors, Knicks, and Wolves are reportedly hoping to land Malcolm Brogdon via free agency.
More reporting has confirmed mutual interest between the Golden State Warriors and veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon, currently a free agent, remains unsigned despite a strong track record and skillset that can be complimentary to most teams. In his latest reporting for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer blamed the Jonathan Kuminga situation for Brogdon’s wait. Despite interest from other teams, he’s presumably interested in a potential opportunity with the Warriors. However, the Dubs have remained steadfast in delaying the team’s signings until the Kuminga situation is resolved.
“In Brogdon’s case, Golden State’s long-running stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has contributed to the uncomfortable wait,” Fischer wrote. “We won’t know if the Warriors emerge with more serious interest in Brogdon until the state of their roster and luxury tax bill becomes clear in the wake of a resolution to Kuminga’s fate and the subsequent signings that have been long anticipated… I’m told Brogdon has also been on the radar for both the Knicks and the Timberwolves.”
The 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year, Brogdon has been a consistently solid (if not above-average) well-rounded point guard. While he has always lacked a standout tool to become an All-Star caliber player, Brogdon has averaged 15.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game on 46.3%/38.8%/87.4% shooting over his career. However, injuries have limited him to just 63 games over the past two seasons.
Brogdon spent last season with the Washington Wizards. He struggled mightily in 24 games (13 starts) with one of the worst teams in the league. While he filled the box score with 12.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, he shot a career-worst 28.6% from three. Having appeared in at least 40 regular-season games just once over the past four years, Brogdon’s poor shooting performance insured he’d likely have to settle for a league minimum deal this offseason.
Despite the risks, Brogdon would be an excellent buy-low candidate for the Warriors, who could use a primary backup point guard behind Steph Curry. Brogdon has shown the versatility to play alongside Steph, but also the competence to run the offense while Curry rests. Adding a proven point guard like Brogdon would also lessen the pressure on Brandin Podziemski, who is currently expected to be the team’s starting shooting guard and primary backup point guard.
Category: General Sports
