Phoenix Suns: 5 potential targets in 2019 NBA free agency
3. Malcolm Brogdon
The Milwaukee Bucks were two wins away from facing an injury-battered Golden State Warriors team in the NBA Finals this year. With the reigning MVP spearheading a roster that just won 60 games, you can bet the front office will be willing to pay up to keep this group together for the long haul.
However, with Khris Middleton likely to command a max deal, plus Brook Lopez and Nikola Mirotic also hitting the market as unrestricted free agents, keeping this crew together could be a pricy, tricky endeavor.
Depending on how much a team is willing to invest in restricted free agent Malcolm Brogdon, an outside team could throw a monkey wrench into Milwaukee’s ambitious offseason plans with a large offer sheet. Enter the Phoenix Suns.
Following their surprising draft night moves, the Suns are forming a new identity with high-end role players who best complement Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 26, 2019
If Phoenix wants to continue in this direction, back up the Brinks truck for Malcolm Brogdon. https://t.co/qD8cJyRMb7
Brogdon doesn’t scream “starting point guard material,” but he plays like a 10-year veteran despite only having been in the league for three years. Maybe that’s due to his advanced age (he’ll turn 27 in December), but whatever the case, Brogdon was an established, steady two-way presence for the NBA’s best regular season team.
Averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 28.6 minutes per game, Brogdon was one of the league’s most efficient players. He joined the legendary “50-40-90 club” on .505/.426/.928 shooting splits, and while Mike Budenholzer and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a great deal to do with that efficiency, he’s a proven shooter and defender who can guard multiple positions.
However, as The Athletic‘s Eric Nehm detailed, Brogdon is not actually a point guard, and guarding opposing point guards is not something he’s good at.
Giving him a contract in the neighborhood of $20 million annually — which is probably what it’d take to prevent the Bucks from matching — should make even the biggest Malcolm Brogdon optimists queasy. To even get the requisite cap space, the Suns would have to dump Josh Jackson‘s contract for nothing and renounce a ton of free agents, possibly including Kelly Oubre Jr.
With that being said, it’s possible to get there without cutting bait on Oubre, and the Suns desperately need to improve. Brogdon may not be a flashy option, but he’s a fundamentally sound one. It’s just the potential price tag and his age that hold him back from being higher on the list.