Reports throughout the day on Wednesday said that the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers were close to reaching a deal on a trade that would have sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Though the Celtics and Wizards later agreed to a deal involving Porzingis, the Clippers withdrew from talks. Now we know why.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the three-team trade fell apart because the Clippers had an issue with Malcolm Brogdon’s injury.
Concerns raised by the Clippers about Malcolm Brogdon's injury status, league sources say, led to the collapse of the three-team trade expected to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston before midnight tonight.
A direct Wizards/Celtics deal has not been ruled out.
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2023
Brogdon suffered a right forearm injury in his Celtics’ Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Miami Heat. He missed one game during the series due to the injury, which was termed a right forearm strain. He has a partially torn tendon.
The Celtics still ended up getting Porzingis in the end just like they wanted. They and the Wizards were able to lock in the Grizzlies to facilitate a trade that also sent Marcus Smart to Memphis.
