3 Most Overpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
The Celtics left their supporters wanting more in 2022-23 after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth time since 2017. Nevertheless, the third-round elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat is in the rearview now that the 2023-24 NBA season is less than two months away.
As it stands, the Celtics are available at +500 odds to win next spring’s NBA Finals on DraftKings Sportsbook, trailing only the Denver Nuggets (+475). While those odds are highly optimistic, some fans are wondering if Boston’s current roster is good enough to get the job done, especially with some players making more money than they should.
After all, spending money wisely is crucial to build a championship-caliber team in any sport. Only time will tell if the C’s can get the optimal value out of their current group.
In the meantime, here are the three most overpaid Celtics heading into the 2023-24 NBA campaign.
Celtics Most Overpaid Players 2023
1. Malcolm Brogdon — 2023-24 Salary: $22.5 Million
When he’s healthy, Malcolm Brogdon is a good NBA player. Heck, you could even say that he’s great on some nights.
The issue here is that Brogdon isn’t healthy enough to justify his $22.5 million price tag in the upcoming campaign. Staying on the court has been an issue for the veteran guard, who’s averaged 29 missed games over the previous three seasons.
On one hand, Brogdon’s 2022-23 stats weren’t terrible. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting .484/.444/.870 across 67 games. On the other, he didn’t even start one of those games, meaning that the Celtics are paying premium money for a bench player.
Boston even tried trading him in the Porzingis deal this summer, indicating that management may view Brogdon’s contract as an albatross at this point.
Concerns raised by the Clippers about Malcolm Brogdon's injury status, league sources say, led to the collapse of the three-team trade expected to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston before midnight tonight.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2023
A direct Wizards/Celtics deal has not been ruled out.
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Sure, you could theorize that Brogdon will see an uptick in opportunities following Marcus Smart’s departure. At the same time, his body has proven that it can’t withstand starter minutes, highlighted by his averaging a career-low 26 minutes per game last year.
Brogdon hasn’t played more than 67 contests since he was a rookie and now that he’s in his 30s, I don’t see his injury issues disappearing overnight. He’ll also likely be load managed again, limiting his availability.
It’s going to take a lot for the Atlanta, GA native to prove that he isn’t one of Boston’s most overpaid players.