Former Portland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon has decided to retire from basketball at just 32 years old, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. This decision comes as a surprise, as Brogdon recently signed with the New York Knicks and was projected to be a reserve guard in their backcourt rotation heading into the season.
Just two years ago, he was an impactful piece for the Blazers, averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. He was Portland's most efficient shooter that 2023-24 season, connecting on 41.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Malcolm Brogdon had an underrated NBA career
Unfortunately, Brogdon's career and recent production have been hindered by injuries. He played just 39 games for the Blazers, starting in 25 of them. That offseason, Portland shipped Brogdon to the Washington Wizards as part of the Deni Avdija deal. He was a solid veteran presence for the Blazers, but a trade always felt inevitable.
Portland won just 21 games during the season Brogdon played for them. In a different timeline, he would have been an ideal veteran mentor for the Blazers' young guards -- something they made a point to add this offseason. Not only did he not fit their rebuilding timeline, but Brogdon was also on an expiring deal, making it easy for Portland to move him to avoid the luxury tax that summer.
His time with Washington didn't go as planned, as Brogdon has had arguably his worst season since he was a rookie. He was only able to string together 24 games with the Wizards, averaging 12.7 points while shooting a career-worst 28.6% from three during that stretch.
Brogdon was never a star, and his career could ultimately fly under the radar because of his lack of longevity due to injury. But that's precisely what it was -- an underrated career.
Coming out of Virginia, he was the No. 36 overall selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016. Brogdon became a journeyman with stints with Milwaukee, Indiana, Boston, Portland, and Washington. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 turnovers on 46/39/87 shooting splits in those nine seasons.
Brogdon was a methodical and calculated player who always found a way to get to his spots. Teams were unable to speed him up, which is a coveted trait to have as a guard in the NBA. His combination of floor spacing and table setting made him an ideal guard in the modern NBA, which is reflected by how many teams wanted him throughout his relatively short but successful career.