The New York Knicks are surging towards the NBA Finals after taking a 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, leaving a former player facing some potential regret over missing out on a potentially historic moment for the franchise.
The Golden State Warriors had some interest in Malcolm Brogdon last offseason, but it was the Knicks who ultimately signed the veteran despite the clear need for a backup point guard to Stephen Curry in the Bay Area.
Malcolm Brogdon may regret missing out on Knicks playoff run
Brogdon averaged 13.0 minutes and had limited impact across four preseason games with the Knicks, before the former Rookie of the Year sensationally chose to retire from the league on the eve of the regular season despite being just 32-years-old.
While Brogdon may still be eligible for a championship ring if New York were to go all the way to claim the title, there's a chance he's sitting back a little disappointed he's not part of what the franchise is achieving right now after claiming their 10th win in a row.
On the other hand Brogdon may have simply realized his career was done after numerous injury problems, having appeared in just 63 combined games with the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards over the previous two years.
His retirement still came as quite a shock after winning Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics less than three years earlier, and having averaged a more than reasonable 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists with the Wizards last season.
Jonathan Kuminga may have cost Warriors a shot at Malcolm Brogdon
We'll never know just how interested the Warriors were in Brogdon as a free agent last offseason, but there's a chance that Jonathan Kuminga's long restricted free agency could have cost them the 6'4" guard based on NBA insider Jake Fischer's reporting for The Stein Line last August.
"In Brogdon's case, Golden State's long-running stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has contributed to the uncomfortable wait," Fischer wrote."We won't know if the Warriors emerge with more serious interest in Brogdon until the state of their roster and luxury tax bill becomes clear in the wake of a resolution to Kuminga's fate."
Brogdon ultimately signed with the Knicks before Kuminga eventually re-signed, though the Warriors will be hardly losing sleep over missing out considering the nine-year veteran chose to retire anyway.
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