The NBA trade deadline is less than 72 hours away, and multiple teams, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets, have been linked to Portland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon.
But Brogdon, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, has reportedly been lobbying to stay with the Blazers, according to NBA insider Marc Stein:
“Malcolm Brogdon has been openly lobbying the Trail Blazers to keep him beyond Thursday's trade deadline.
Long considered one of this season's Most Likely To Be Traded players after landing in Portland before the season started when Boston acquired Jrue Holiday from the Blazers, Brogdon recently told The Athletic‘s Jason Quick that he was rooting against a deal.
“I’m happy here,” Brogdon told Quick. “I’m valued here. … And I can’t complain with that. I’m happy in Portland.’’
There have been some recent rumblings that Brogdon, with one season left on his current contract after this one at $22.5 million, has been hopeful that the Blazers would entertain contract extension talks. Portland’s willingness to go that far is rather hard to picture given the understandable focus on its array of young guards — most notably Anfernee Simons and rookie Scoot Henderson — but the prospect of a longer stay than anticipated in the Pacific Northwest for the 31-year-old has gained credence.”
There is a case to be made that having Brogdon on the Blazers through at least the rest of this season would be beneficial for Henderson. Brogdon has done well in a mentorship role with the no. 3 overall pick. But given Brogdon's relative health this season, the fact that he has another year left on his contract, and the glut of young guards deserving minutes, Portland will have to take a long look at any incoming offers involving a first-round pick.
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