With the Boston Celtics title defense coming to an abrupt end at the hands of the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, the focus shifts towards the offseason. One goal for Brad Stevensand the Celtics front office this summer will be to cut costs, in an effort to put the team below the second-apron threshold.
Just two offseasons ago in 2023, the Celtics put all of their chips on the table, making blockbuster trades to acquire former All-Stars in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, to pair alongside the Jays and Derrick White. As a result, the team cruised to a 64-18 record and went 16-3 in the playoffs en route to Banner 18, the Celtics first championship after a 16-year drought.
While most fans focus on what the Celtics added to their roster, it's also worth mentioning who the Celtics gave up in those two deals. Marcus Smart is still a fan favorite among Celtics Nation, no matter what team he's on, and Malcolm Brogdon was a Sixth Man of the Year Award winner with the team in 2023.
Now, the two former Celtics guards find themselves on the Washington Wizards, a team that is in the midst of a full rebuild after a last place finish in the Eastern Conference. It's a harsh turn of events for both, as Smart made one Finals appearance and five ECF appearances with the Celtics. Brogdon made an ECF appearance in his lone season with the team, when Boston lost in Game 7 to the Miami Heat in 2023.
As Brad Stevens swapped the two guards (along with other assets) for Porzingis and Holiday, both haven't found the same team and individual success since leaving Beantown. Their performances this past season with the Wizards didn't come close to warranting the $20 million price tag they both hold.
Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart are Robbing the Wizards Blind
Smart is turning 32 in March and Brogdon will be 33 in December. While both players look to be out of their primes, they still got paid a kings ransom by the Wizards, a team who's timeline doesn't match either Smart or Brogdon's demands at this point in their careers.
After being acquired in a trade on February 7th, Smart averaged 9.3 points, 2.5 assists and a steal per game across 18.7 minutes for the Wizards. He did see more success shooting the ball for Washington after spending the first part of the season with the Grizzlies, going from 35.8% to 44% from the field and 32.2% to 39.2% from three.
Brogdon missed the start of this season due to getting surgery on a thumb injury, but would return in November. He would then play in 24 games, 13 of them in the starting lineup, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds across 23.5 minutes of action. In a horrid showing from behind the arc, Brogdon mustered just a 28.6% mark from three, far off the career 38.8% he's shot over nine seasons.
An ankle sprain suffered on February 12th would force Brogdon to miss the remaining 28 games of the Wizards season, in what was a down year all around for the former Virginia Cavalier.
Brogdon and Smart appeared in a combined 39 games for the Wizards as the third and fourth-highest paid players on the roster, further signaling that Washington won't be their home for much longer. The coaching staff even benched Smart at the end of the season to give minutes to younger, unproven players.
Luckily for Brogdon, he is set to become a free agent this offseason and could help a team looking to fill guard minutes off the bench. While Brogdon shouldn't get anything close to the $22.5 million he was paid by Washington this past season, he'll still be a valuable veteran guard on the market when free agency begins.
For Smart, his time in Washington has all but come to an end, as the team will look to move him to his next destination this summer. It would just make sense, given his declining production, and young guards like Jordan Poole and Bub Carrington looking to take the next step. The Wizards also have the No.6 and 18 selections in this year's draft, picks they could use to take a guard on a cheaper contract.
As the saying goes, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. That was the case for these two veteran guards, one being a former Defensive Player of the Year and another winning Sixth Man of the Year with the Celtics.
Rumored trade packages have been put into place for Smart to return to Boston, but that outcome doesn't seem likely knowing the financial hurdles that Brad Stevens will have to go through.
Brogdon will garner some serious attention from contending teams this offseason cycle, as his scoring off the bench will always appeal to GMs in todays NBA.
For now, Celtics fans will watch their former guards from afar, as one, if not both, will be on new teams come October.