Law Murray of The Athletic said on Thursday that he thinks Malcolm Brogdon will be one of the Los Angeles Clippers' primary targets in free agency this summer. Brogdon will be an unrestricted free agent and could land with the Clippers after being previously linked to the organization.
Murray was a guest on Yossi Gozlan's podcast to discuss the Clippers' offseason after the Nuggets eliminated them in the first round. Gozlan noted that LA almost traded for Brogdon a couple of years ago. The Celtics nearly sent Brogdon to the Clippers as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal in 2023, but the trade was called off. Boston traded Brogdon to the Trail Blazers before the 2023-24 season.
Los Angeles could circle back on Brogdon this offseason. Murray covers the Clippers, so he wouldn't say he expects Brogdon to be one of their primary targets unless there was a strong chance it could happen.
The 32-year-old averaged 12.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Wizards in 2024-25, shooting 43.3% from the field and a career-low 28.6% from three. Brogdon played only 24 games (13 starts) after dealing with a few different injuries. His injury history might be enough for some LA fans not to want the team to go after him, considering the Clippers' history with injury-prone players.
Will Clippers sign Malcolm Brogdon in free agency?
Murray reported on May 3 (subscription required) that the Clippers "intend to remain flexible with an eye toward the next two offseasons." Los Angeles sits below the first tax apron. Murray said it's clear that the Clippers will continue to build around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, at least in the short term, given the ages of the two players.
Brogdon is six feet four, so he's taller than most guards. He can slide into either guard spot. The biggest perk is that he'd help LA space the floor as a shooter. Fans shouldn't read too much into his low three-point percentage from last season because of the smaller sample size. Brogdon shot 41.2% from three in 39 games with Portland in 2023-24 and 44.4% from three in 67 games with Boston in 2022-23 (the season he won Sixth Man of the Year). He's a career 38.8% shooter from deep.
He's spent the past couple of years with rebuilding teams, but Brogdon still has gas in the tank, so he could decide to join a more established squad this summer. Will it be the Clippers?