Celtics' Malcolm Brogdon reveals why he picked Boston over Raptors in offseason trade

Carlan Gay

Celtics' Malcolm Brogdon reveals why he picked Boston over Raptors in offseason trade image

One of the biggest questions heading into the 2022-23 season for the Raptors is who will get the backup point guard minutes behind Fred VanVleet.

Well, according to Malcolm Brogdon, the Raptors almost had their answer in him.

In an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio this week, Brogdon revealed that he had a choice to make this offseason between the Celtics and Raptors.

“The opportunity came up for me to move on from the Pacers,” Brogdon said. “They worked with me great, allowing me to have a say in my transition, where I would go based on what the interest was.

“At the end of the day, we knew there was Boston, we knew Toronto, we knew D.C. D.C. fell off after the draft since they were thinking about trading that 10th pick for me. 

"Toronto and Boston popped up. We had a choice to pursue — there wasn’t an offer on the table yet from either of them, but the Pacers came to me and said we could pursue either of them and which one would I rather pursue. I choose Boston.”

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Malcolm Brogdon Boston Celtics
Celtics.com

While no one knows what offer Toronto would've made for Brogdon, it's easy to see that he would have fit in perfectly with a Raptors unit that is in need of someone who can provide what he brings to the table. He would've solidified the team's second unit and could've helped close games playing alongside VanVleet, giving the Raptors another heady playmaker.

Ultimately, Brogdon felt the Celtics were further along in their quest for another championship. 

“I thought (Boston) was farther along,” Brogdon said. “They have a superstar in Jayson Tatum and probably another superstar in Jaylen Brown as well. I thought it would be a great fit for me because I wanted to win right now.”

Carlan Gay