Malcolm Brogdon Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Bane, Hornets, Brogdon, Magic

June 20th, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Priority number one for freshly acquired Magic shooting guard Desmond Bane is getting to work building chemistry with his new teammates, writes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

Orlando managed to stay afloat through a barrage of injuries last season, thanks in large part to the chemistry they built, which Beede says starts with head coach Jamahl Mosley. Mosley is known as a players’ coach, giving his roster the freedom they need to be their best selves while finding balance in also holding them accountable.

Bane specifically wants to spend time with star Paolo Banchero this summer.

“I want to get to connect with him, whether he’s in Seattle or wherever he’s at, link up with him for a weekend, and we can get in the gym but low-key, put basketball to the side and get a chance to know him as a person,” Bane said.

We have more from the Southeast division:

The Hornets almost have to take Ace Bailey if he falls to No. 4 in the 2025 draft, contends Roderick Boone for the Charlotte Observer. In his mailbag article, Boone suggests that the Hornets could pair Bailey with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller or use him as another high-profile trade chip. Boone also writes that Mark Williams being on the roster when next season starts would be something of a surprise after last season’s failed trade with the Lakers.
Unrestricted free agent point guard Malcolm Brogdon is not expected to return to the Wizards, reports RG’s Grant Afseth. Brogdon played 24 games for Washington last season, averaging 12.7 points and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes per night. Afseth writes that the Mavericks may be a suitor for Brogdon. Meanwhile, the Wizards will continue searching for a long-term answer at point guard.
The Magic have released their preseason schedule, Beede writes. Fans will get to see their new-look team kick off on October 12 against the Heat. They will play two home preseason games, with the second coming on Thursday, October 16 at 7:00 pm against the Pelicans.

Bucks Rumors: Giannis, Tax, Lopez, Portis, Point Guards

June 13th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

After stating during multiple television appearances this week that a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade appears unlikely to happen in the short term, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reiterated that point on Friday in a an ESPN.com story co-authored by Tim Bontemps.

At the moment, Windhorst and Bontemps say, the expectation around the NBA is that Antetokounmpo will still be in Milwaukee by the time the 2025/26 season tips off.

However, the ESPN duo stresses that’s just where things stand as of today. It doesn’t necessarily mean the situation won’t change at some point this offseason, since there’s no indication Antetokounmpo has definitively told the Bucks that he’s staying. It remains possible he could request a change of scenery later in the summer if he decides he’s not thrilled with the team’s direction.

For now though, the Bucks aren’t listening to trade inquiries on Antetokounmpo and aren’t expected to make any deal involving the two-time MVP in the short term.

Here’s more on the Bucks from Windhorst and Bontemps:

In meetings since the Bucks’ season ended, general manager Jon Horst and head coach Doc Rivers have presented plans to keep the core of the roster intact around Antetokounmpo, per ESPN. Milwaukee went 10-4 without Damian Lillard in March and April and is optimistic about its ability to contend for a top-six playoff spot until he’s ready to return, which the club hopes will happen before the end of the 2025/26 season, as Windhorst and Bontemps explain.
Personnel around the NBA are curious about the Bucks’ appetite to be a taxpayer in ’25/26 after paying substantial penalties in recent years, according to Windhorst and Bontemps, who hear from sources that the team is indeed prepared to operate above the tax line again. It would be difficult for the Bucks to retain free agent big men Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis without surpassing that threshold, ESPN’s duo notes.
While Milwaukee may be a taxpayer again next season, rival teams think the Bucks will look to operate below the first tax apron, giving them access to at least part of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The team may need that MLE to sign a free agent point guard to step in for Lillard. According to Windhorst and Bontemps, Dennis Schröder, Tyus Jones, and Malcolm Brogdon are a few names to watch.

Kings Rumored To Have Interest In Holiday, Smart, Brogdon

June 12th, 2025 at 1:30pm CST by Rory Maher

As the Kings continue to explore pathways to improve their backcourt, Jrue Holiday of the Celtics, Marcus Smart of the Wizards, and impending free agent Malcolm Brogdon are among the players Sacramento is believed to be interested in, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

The Kings have consistently come up as a suitor for point guards, having previously been linked to Tyus Jones and Cavaliers All-Star Darius Garland. Jones is another impending free agent, while Garland is on a maximum-salary contract with Cleveland for three more years.

Although Holiday, Smart and Brogdon are all capable of bringing the ball up the court and initiating an offense, they profile more as combo guards than traditional table-setters. Holiday has three years and $104.4MM left on his contract, while Smart is entering the final year of his deal, which will pay him $21.6MM in 2025/26.

According to Fischer, the Kings have also been looking at moving into the first round of the draft, and have “expressed confidence to various agents” that they could acquire a selection “as high as the early 20s.” Sacramento currently only controls one pick, a second-rounder at No. 42 overall.

For what it’s worth, any Kings offer for Holiday would likely have to include either DeMar DeRozan or Malik Monk for salary-matching purposes as the Celtics look to reduce their payroll and luxury tax bill in ’25/26.

Clippers To Target Malcolm Brogdon In Free Agency?

May 8th, 2025 at 4:17pm CST by Rory Maher

In a discussion about the Clippers‘ offseason with Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (YouTube link), Law Murray of The Athletic said veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon is a name worth monitoring. Brogdon will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after earning $22.5MM in 2024/25 with the Wizards.

“I would consider Brogdon a primary target for the Clippers,” Murray said (Twitter video link). “ … They almost traded (for him in the past). I think if Brogdon would have been a buyout guy (after the February trade deadline), I think the Clippers would have considered him along with Ben Simmons.”

Murray noted that Brogdon has a longstanding relationship with former Clippers executive Michael Winger, who now leads Washington’s front office.

“At the very least, there will be some consideration there,” Murray said. “He fits everything that the Clippers look for as far as a point guard who can shoot, who has positional size. That’s like a bullet on the board there.”

When healthy, Brogdon has been a very productive NBA player. He won Rookie of the Year back in 2017 and Sixth Man of the Year in ’23, and he holds career averages of 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists on .463/.388/.874 shooting in 463 appearances (29.1 minutes).

However, injuries have been a major issue for Brogdon. He was limited to just 24 games this season for the Wizards and has appeared in fewer than 40 contests in three of the past four campaigns. That could limit his market value this summer.

Brogdon also wasn’t as effective as he’s been in the past in 2024/25. He averaged a career-low 23.5 MPG and shot a career-worst 28.6% from beyond the arc, though those numbers are a little misleading because it’s a fairly small sample size and he was playing for the second-worst team in the league.

Still, Brogdon makes some sense as a potential target for the Clippers. As Murray mentioned, the 32-year-old can play both guard spots, has plus size, and is a very good shooter when given space.

Southeast Notes: Young, Rozier, Love, Magic, Wizards

April 23rd, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show (YouTube link) about Trae Young‘s future in Atlanta, NBA insider Chris Haynes said the Hawks guard has expressed to him that he’s “down with the process” and wants to see a young Atlanta team “turn the corner.” However, while Haynes hasn’t heard anything from Young’s camp to indicate that he’s seeking a change of scenery, he acknowledged that there are “definitely teams out there who are monitoring his situation.”

Within his preview of the Hawks’ offseason, John Hollinger of The Athletic also explores what’s in store for Young and the Hawks, noting that it’s hard to get a read on the team’s direction because there are already so many individuals who have some say in the front office, even before Atlanta hires a new head of basketball operations.

In addition to team owner Tony Ressler and his son Nick Ressler, executives who have a voice in personnel decisions include general manager Onsi Saleh, assistant GM Kyle Korver, and advisers Chris Grant and Chris Emens. Tony Ressler also sometimes asks for input from people outside of the basketball operations department, including minority owner Grant Hill. According to Hollinger, Hill is viewed by some sources as Ressler’s top choice to run the front office, but seems satisfied with his USA Basketball job.

While there has been “chatter” about the possibility of the Hawks entertaining a Young trade this offseason, it remains to be seen how strong his market would be, according to Hollinger, who suggests one possible reason the team traded Dejounte Murray instead of Young a year ago was because it would’ve been more difficult to extract value for Young.

We have more from around the Southeast:

Terry Rozier (ankle sprain) and Kevin Love (personal reasons) will be unavailable for the Heat in Game 2 of their series vs. Cleveland on Wednesday. Head coach Erik Spoelstra says he “feels” for both players, praising Rozier for maintaining a good work ethic even when he’s out of the rotation and adding that the team is there for Love during “what he’s going through,” per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Rozier told reporters that he’s “super frustrated” about injuring his ankle in a scrimmage, but he said the injury is already improving and didn’t require an MRI, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Heat guard described his status as “day to day.”
The Magic aren’t bothered by Al Horford‘s complaints about Orlando’s “extra” physicality in Game 1, including a hard foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that resulted in Celtics star Jayson Tatum injuring his wrist. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required), head coach Jamahl Mosley said he didn’t think Caldwell-Pope deserved to be called for a flagrant foul on that play, while guard Cole Anthony said the Magic play “the right way” and aren’t trying to hurt anyone. “We’re going to keep mucking it up,” Anthony added. “You’re just giving us good feedback.”
The Wizards were voted the NBA’s second-worst organization in The Athletic’s latest player poll, with Brian Keefe receiving the most votes for the league’s worst coach. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, those results suggest the Wizards have work to do to adjust the outside perception of the team, though veterans like Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton have said since arriving in D.C. that they’ve been pleasantly surprised by how the organization functions.

Southeast Notes: Anthony, Wizards, Heat Play-In

April 17th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Cole Anthony played a starring role in Orlando’s play-in victory over Atlanta on Tuesday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. He scored 26 points and six assists to clinch the seventh seed for the Magic.

As Robbins writes, Anthony had a roller-coaster season in 2024/25, seeing his role fluctuate frequently as he averaged a career-low 18.4 minutes per game, so it was rewarding for him to help secure their spot in the playoffs.

“It’s been up-and-down for him,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “But just his energy, his spark, his juice, what he provides for this team coming off that bench, he plays fearlessly and that’s how we need him to continue to play.”

Now, the Magic are preparing for a first-round series against the 61-win Celtics.

“It was awesome, and we need that from him, to be ready and plug in and give us instant offense like that and just make the right play,” teammate Franz Wagner said.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Even though they won just 18 games, this was a successful season from a developmental perspective for the Wizards. Three rookies — Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George — started a significant number of games while players like Bilal Coulibaly showed signs of development. In a piece exploring learnings from the season, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post pinpoints Justin Champagnie as a valuable player but writes that players like Richaun Holmes and Malcolm Brogdon might be on the way out in the offseason.
In his offseason preview for the Wizards, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes that players like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart might have value for contending teams this offseason due to their contracts set to expire in 2026. In potential trade scenarios involving those players, the Wizards could take back long-term salary. Brogdon will be a free agent and the Wizards could theoretically involve him in a sign-and-trade while getting a minor asset in return. Outside of that, the Wizards will keep adding to their young core. Smith writes that AJ Johnson and Tristan Vukcevic are two young players in house to watch for bigger roles next year.
The Warriors‘ play-in victory over the Grizzlies ensures the Heat will receive Golden State’s first-round pick in June, which will be either 18th, 19th or 20th overall, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. That pick order will be determined by random drawing. Golden State’s pick was top-10 protected. Whether or not the Heat hang onto their own first-round pick will hinge on whether or not they beat Atlanta on Friday.
The Heat defeated the Bulls in the play-in tournament for the third straight year, with Tyler Herro serving as a major offensive catalyst, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Pelle Larsson, who played many minutes toward the end of the season in a starting role, returned from an ankle injury and was available on Wednesday, but didn’t play. Forward Nikola Jovic is also close to making his return after not playing since late February. He was upgraded to questionable for the first time since then and could potentially return in the playoffs.

Wizards Notes: Smart, Middleton, Sarr, Vukcevic, Brogdon, Coulibaly

March 11th, 2025 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Trade-deadline acquisitions Marcus Smart and Khris Middleton have had a positive impact on the Wizards so far. As Varun Shankar of The Washington Post writes, the two veterans have been active for the same seven games since debuting on February 21 and the team has gone 4-3 in those contests. Washington was 9-45 before the duo suited up and has lost the two games Smart and Middleton have missed since then.

Monday’s game vs. Toronto represented the second time in recent weeks that Smart and Middleton have been held out of one end of a back-to-back set for “injury management.” The Wizards have dropped those two matchups, to the Magic and Raptors, by 20 and 15 points, respectively.

While head coach Brian Keefe didn’t say on Monday whether he’d continue to sit Smart and Middleton in back-to-backs for the rest of the season, the Wizards likely won’t go out of their way to make those veterans more available, given the impact they’ve had on winning and the importance of lottery positioning. Washington has had the NBA’s worst record for nearly the entire season, but is now just a game behind Utah and 2.5 games behind Charlotte in the standings.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Keefe experimented on Monday with playing centers Alex Sarr and Tristan Vukcevic at the same time and liked what he saw during those seven minutes, as Shankar relays. “They complement each other offensively, and I thought they could complement each other defensively,” Keefe said of the young bigs. “So I wanted to see what that looked like. I thought they did a good job during that little stint.” Vukcevic said he was “a bit surprised” to be playing power forward, but appreciated the opportunity to try something new. “That’s something that (the Cavaliers are) doing, and it’s working out for them. So it would be great if it could work out for us,” he said.
Veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who has been on the shelf since February 12 with a left ankle sprain, has been doing on-court work in recent days, including after the team’s shootaround on Monday, per Shankar. However, Keefe declined to give a timetable for Brogdon’s potential return.
In an in-depth story for RG.org, Spencer Davies takes a closer look at Bilal Coulibaly‘s second year in the NBA, noting that the forward’s efficiency numbers (.421 FG%, .281 3PT%) have dropped in large part due to a more challenging shot profile and suggesting that the Wizards remain bullish on the 20-year-old’s potential. “I know they believe in me,” Coulibaly told Davies. “They are telling me that every single day, so it feels really good. For me and just my confidence, having guys that believe in me makes me believe in myself too.”
Coulibaly took a hard fall in the first quarter of Monday’s loss vs. Toronto after being fouled on a dunk attempt by Raptors forward Jamison Battle (video link). The Wizards have listed him as out for Tuesday’s matchup with Detroit due to a right hip contusion, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says it’s fortunate the second-year forward didn’t injure his head, neck, or back, given how scary it looked in real time.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Williams, Flynn, Sarr, Brogdon

March 2nd, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After suffering a major setback this week in his attempt to return from injury, Magic guard Jalen Suggs is determined to get back on the court in time to help his team in the playoffs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs believed he was close to returning from a left quad issue that has sidelined him for more than a month. He went through “a great workout” before Tuesday’s game, but wound up with swelling in his left knee. On Friday, he was diagnosed with a trochlea cartilage injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

“And that’s the hardest part,” Suggs said. “Because I felt like I had gotten over that hump, I had hit almost the last checkpoint to playing and then this arises. Can’t do anything about it. Literally it’s just resetting the clock and getting back to work.”

There’s no guarantee that Suggs will be able to play again this season, as team doctors consider the best treatment options. According to Beede, the possibilities include rest, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medicine and arthroscopic surgery. The team stated that Suggs is expected to make a full recovery, but it’s too early to set a timeline.

“My goal is to come back and play and help impact as we get to the postseason and get to the playoffs,” he said. “That’s my goal. That’s what I’m shooting for. I think if you don’t have a personal goal, it gets kind of hard to get through day-to-day work because you’re not seeing a bigger picture. And that’s mine. Everything’s aligned with that so far. Obviously, things may change as the process goes on but as of right now, that’s my goal. That’s where the timeline is at. And I feel real confident in both my strength, the strength, conditioning and training staff, and my guys having my back to make that happen.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets center Mark Williams isn’t showing any signs of the injury concerns that caused the Lakers to rescind their trade for him last month, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Williams collected his third straight double-double Saturday night with 24 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Washington. “I think just regaining familiarity with the guys,” Williams said. “Obviously, the lack of continuity is always a little tough. But I think just being out there getting into a rhythm, it always makes it a little easier every time you’re out there.”
Malachi Flynn‘s 10-day contract with the Hornets became official on Saturday, and coach Charles Lee is hoping he can help spark the offense, Boone adds. Flynn played eight minutes in his debut with two points and two assists. “We’re looking forward to getting a guy who can score a little bit,” Lee said. “We’ve had some stretches where I think we were creating some really good shots, some really good advantages, and he’s a guy I think has proven that he can really fill it up and score in a lot of different ways with the ball and without the ball.”
Wizards center Alex Sarr is looking to finish his rookie season after returning Saturday from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him for 11 games, relays Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. In a season without a clear favorite for Rookie of the Year, Sarr may have a chance to make a late run at the award. “I liked (Sarr’s) activity. He’s a presence out there for us, and we obviously can see the stuff he does defensively, but just his ability to stretch the floor, drag their bigs out, it makes them do different coverages,” coach Brian Keefe said. “It was good to have him back.”
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon hasn’t played since February 12 due to a sprained left ankle, but Keefe expects him to return before the end of the season, Shakar tweets.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Middleton, Smart, Williams, Young

February 19th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The left quad contusion that sidelined Magic guard Jalen Suggs before the All-Star break hasn’t healed enough for him to resume playing, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs has been declared out for Thursday’s contest at Atlanta, making it the 10th straight game he’ll miss and the 20th of the last 21. He was limited to the non-contact portions of practice the last two days, Beede adds.

“Everybody responds to treatment, everybody responds to different injuries differently [and] everybody’s different,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And so, you want to treat it as such, and not rush a process of getting him fully whole just to squeak back in to not be 100% on the court because he’s trying to push through certain things. It’s so important that we get him back fully healthy where there is no nagging pain as we go through it.”

The Magic are counting on Suggs’ return to help end a long spiral that has seen them fall to seventh place in the East at 27-29. They’re 6-14 in their last 20 games and haven’t won two in a row since late December. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both returned from extended injury absences over the past six weeks, but Orlando is clearly missing the all-around production of Suggs, who’s averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 35 games.

“Defensive-wise, that’s where we’ve been missing him the most,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “The way he guards and the energy that he brings, everybody feeds off that, even myself.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, Washington’s veteran additions at the trade deadline, were both full participants in today’s practice, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). They may be able to make their Wizards‘ debuts at home Friday against Milwaukee. “I’m here to be a basketball player,” Middleton said. “I’m here to win games, here to help win games however I can. I am going to be here as a mentor and whatnot, but I want Wizards fans to know that I’m not here just to be a mentor. I’m here to be a basketball player and compete out there and help win games.” Malcolm Brogdon, who sprained his left ankle last Wednesday, isn’t expected to play, Robbins tweets.
Coach Charles Lee said Mark Williams is back to being the Hornets‘ starting center after his trade to the Lakers was rescinded (Twitter video link from Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer). Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired from Phoenix at the deadline, will be the primary backup, pushing Moussa Diabate back to third string. Diabate started the last three games and recently signed a three-year contract after beginning the season on a two-way deal.
Hawks guard Trae Young made his fourth All-Star appearance this year, so he has learned how to handle the demands of the weekend without getting overwhelmed, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, it wasn’t my first time going,” Young said. “So I kind of knew how to take advantage of the weekend, a little bit more rest, during breaks and appearances and things like that. So, I was able to get some catnaps in there, and then after that, after Sunday, after the game, I was able to get out of there and get some rest and spend some family time those last two days. And I’m ready to go.”

Injury Notes: George, Hayes, Lewis, Capela, Brogdon

February 13th, 2025 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Paul George‘s first season in Philadelphia certainly has not gone the way either party envisioned when the nine-time All-Star signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Sixers last summer.

The 34-year-old forward has missed 19 of the team’s 54 games to this point due to knee, groin, ankle and finger injuries, and he hasn’t been effective lately when active, recording just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 37 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn. After dropping five straight, the 76ers are now tied with the Nets for the sixth-worst record in the NBA.

Appearing on NBA Today on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that George, who has been playing through tendon damage in his left pinky finger, has been receiving injections just to suit up over the past week.

“He’s been doing what he can to be on the court and to try to be available,” Charania said. “I’m told that it’s to the point where he gotten injections to play and compete over the last four or five games. That’s something that players do come playoff time, not necessarily in the regular season.

“ … We can tell that he’s not 100 percent. … Clearly, there’s something that’s been amiss with him, with his body, and we’re seeing that play out. The Sixers, there’s going to be a point in time here where … they’re going to have to have some hard conversations about availability and potentially maybe even shutting a guy or two down in the second half of the season.”

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Already thin on frontcourt depth, the Lakers lost starting center Jaxson Hayes to a facial contusion in Wednesday’s loss to Utah, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear whether he’ll have to miss time as a result of the injury or if he’ll be able to recover during the All-Star break.
Six weeks after fracturing his left tibia in his Nets debut, second-year wing Maxwell Lewis was able to return to action on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 2023 second-round pick only played 27 seconds to wrap up the victory, but he was grateful to be back on an NBA court so soon after a scary-looking injury. “I’m just blessed and glad it’s over,” Lewis said. “Now, I get to at least start what I was starting when it first happened on Jan. 1, just getting back to playing and my routine. It’s great. I’m blessed to be back.”
The Hawks lost a couple of rotation players to multi-week injuries on Wednesday, but they’re expected to have Clint Capela back after the All-Star break, according to Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The veteran center has missed Atlanta’s last nine games due to a back injury.
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s overtime loss to Indiana due to a left leg injury, per ESPN.com. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner was unable to put weight on his injured leg, which is never a great sign.