The Boston Celtics were only two games away from being crowned NBA champions last month, so one can only assume they were a piece or two away from finishing the job.
They took a step towards filling the holes Friday by trading for Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. In return, Boston reportedly sent the Pacers a 2023 first-round pick, Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts and Juwan Morgan.
In Brogdon, the Celtics get a playmaking point guard who can take on primary ball-handling duties, which was a glaring hole for Boston as it averaged 16 turnovers in the Finals. Taking the step forward without losing any key rotational players moved Boston’s title odds into a tie for shortest with the Phoenix Suns at +550 on Tipico Sportsbook. They’re also the favorites at DraftKings at +500.
After adding Malcolm Brogdon…
THE BOSTON CELTICS (+500) ARE THE NEW FAVORITES TO WIN THE NBA FINALS NEXT SEASON @FDSportsbook 👀 pic.twitter.com/aT9FltnfcC
— br_betting (@br_betting) July 1, 2022
The move also makes official the Pacers intentions to enter a complete rebuild. They’re tied with five other teams on Tipico for the longest title odds at +50000.
