After nine NBA seasons, guard Malcolm Brogdon is retiring from the NBA, league sources confirmed to The Athletic.
The sources said Brogdon’s sudden retirement is due to him feeling like he could no longer meet the physical and mental demands needed to succeed in the NBA. The veteran guard has dealt with multiple injuries over his last few seasons and the work to recover and build up for games was too much at this stage in his career.
Brogdon, who was on a non-guaranteed deal with the Knicks, was likely in a position to take New York’s open roster spot, and sources said he was under the impression he’d be in Mike Brown’s rotation had he continued playing.
Brogdon did not enter training camp with retirement on his mind and only made his decision over the last couple of days, per league sources.
“I came here with the expectation that I’m going to make the team,” Brogdon said earlier in training camp. “I feel like what I bring to the table, everything I have to offer, I feel like I can help this team get over the hump. The decision is out of my control, but I know I can help this team.”
The 32-year-old’s NBA career took him to Milwaukee, Indiana, Boston, Portland and Washington before he signed with the Knicks this summer.
Brogdon, a second-round pick in 2016 by the Bucks, won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2017. He is the only second-round pick to win ROY and is the second-lowest draft pick to do so. He also won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2023 while with the Celtics.
As for the Knicks, Brogdon’s retirement puts the franchise in an interesting position with opening-night rosters needing to be finalized this weekend. Per league sources, the Knicks were strongly considering creating another roster spot via trade in order to keep two of Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews.
It’s possible now that the Knicks will just sign either Shamet, who appears to be the frontrunner, or Mathews, and no longer try to open a roster spot via trading one of their young, end-of-the-bench pieces. It’s still also possible that the Knicks will try to keep both veterans as their pursuit of an NBA championship begins next week.
Brogdon averaged 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 463 career games. He is one of only nine people to have a 50/40/90 season (shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent for 3-point range and 90 percent from the foul line), which he accomplished with the Bucks in 2018-19.