After nine seasons, Malcolm Brogdon has stunningly decided to retire from the NBA, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. Brogdon, whose career began with the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2016, had been with the New York Knicks on a training camp deal and was slated to make the regular roster in the coming weeks. No one but Brogdon saw this coming.
Former Bucks Rookie of the Year calls it a career
Right off the bat, injuries are likely to be blamed on this. While Brogdon has always been a nice contributor wherever he's played, injuries have always disrupted his flow. In his nine-year career, he has appeared in more than 64 games just three times. This past season, he played in just 24 contests as he battled the injury bug. That amount of injury and rehab takes a toll on a player.
Brogdon's best years statistically didn't come with the Milwaukee Bucks, but there is no doubt that he hit the ground running with them. A second-round pick in 2016, Brogdon secured Rookie of the Year honors and became a vital cog for the Bucks. In his three years with the franchise, he averaged 12.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Things between Brogdon and the Milwaukee Bucks didn't end so gracefully, as the guard left for the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade long before they were rivals. He spent the next few years bouncing around the league with the Celtics, Trail Blazers, and Wizards. He did win Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics before being traded for fellow former Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday.
There had been some chatter that the Milwaukee Bucks could have been a suitor for Brogdon amid a hectic free agency period this summer. That noise went silent once the team acquired Cole Anthony, and it's a good thing it did. Had the Bucks signed Brogdon and he had gone through with retirement, they would have been in a tough spot trying to find a quality replacement with the season set to start in the coming days.
Even before the stunning retirement announcement, going with Anthony looked like the better bet for a Milwaukee Bucks team looking to retool around youth.
Hats off to the former Milwaukee Buck as he is set to tackle his next journey, whatever path that leads him down.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.