The latest injury update shatters the Wizards‘ hope even before the season begins! Days into the off-season, the Washington side made a promising inclusion for the veteran guard spot, roping in Malcolm Brogdon—a direct replacement for Tyus Jones. While the offense-dominant two-way guard’s inclusion strengthened the team’s backcourt on paper, an unfortunate situation had delayed Brogdon’s Washington debut. Moreover, the rumor mills suggest that the 31-year-old’s debut might continue to be on hold.

Before we pay attention to the trade rumors, let’s look at the unfortunate situation. The hopeful addition of the Wizards injured his shooting arm, just a day before the team’s preseason opener. Reports suggested that the Wizards would reveal the severity of the injury after imaging. Well, the latest update has clarified that Malcolm Brogdon will miss at least a month before stepping on the floor.

Looking back at Malcolm Brogdon’s NBA journey, the 31-year-old has had plenty of unfortunate situations. He was drafted into the NBA before the 2016-17 season and won the ROTY award, representing the Bucks alongside a young Giannis Antetokounmpo. Before he could cement his spot with the Wisconsin side, he was traded and reached the Celtics after a 3-season stint with the Pacers.

In only a single season with the Celts, Malcolm Brogdon managed to clinch the Sixth Man of the Year in the 2022-23 season, and in the following year, Jrue Holiday replaced him at the guard position. So, the veteran guard has missed direct opportunities to win a ring!

Now, with the Wizards, the underdog has a new conflict, which is injuring his shooting arm. Notably, the Georgia native has become injury-prone in his 8 NBA seasons, where he at least missed half of the season thrice in his career. He’s appeared in more than 56 regular season games just once in the last five years. Above all, Malcolm Brogdon is currently under an expiring contract!

Will Malcolm Brogdon stay with the Wizards?

Currently, the veteran guard is in the final year of the two-year contract that he had signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. Even though Malcolm Brogdon produced a decent stint with the Blazers, averaging 15.7 points and 5.5 assists, he only played 39 games. So again, he falls under the injury-prone category. Heading into his fresh season with the Wizards, the team could even waive his contract, considering his uncertain fitness. On the other hand, the rumor mill says something else, linking him with the Lakers!

The LA side has everything in its bag- star power and skill but is still far from winning a championship. It’s an absolute disgrace for a team that has LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster. So, fans have already begun churning out possible trade scenarios. One of them is a three-team deal involving the Wizards and Bulls.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests, “Lakers get: Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valančiūnas (from Wizards), Jevon Carter (from Bulls) x Wizards get: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Christian Wood and Cam Reddish (from Lakers), 2029 first-rounder (top-five-protected), $9.9 million trade exception (Jonas Valančiūnas), $5.3 million trade exception (Johnny Davis), $3.8 million trade exception (Malcolm Brogdon) x Bulls get: Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr. (from Wizards), $1.2 million trade exception (Jevon Carter).”

Nevertheless, with Brogdon and Valanciunas for D’Lo and a first-round pick being the meat of the trade, this is just a trade scenario, of which many like these frequently circulate in the community. Hopefully, one of them catches the attention of the front offices!

On the other hand, the Wizards are temporarily equipped to handle Malcolm Brogdon’s absence, as Bilal Coulibaly started the preseason opener against the Raptors. Corey Kispert and rookie Carlton Carrington took care of the backup duties.

However, this can’t continue for long, considering the backcourt’s inexperience. Do you think Malcolm Brogdon will return to the Washington Wizards after the injury and then continue staying fit? Let us know.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.