Rival executive reportedly upset over Celtics’ trade for Malcolm Brogdon

That could be why a rival executive was upset that the Celtics got the deal for Brogdon on the back foot.

“He will do it [be a serious help for the Celtics]. It will be good for them,” an Eastern Conference executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “Going to Boston, with strong people around him, unfortunately, yes, it will be good for them. I think it’s going to make them much better, which pisses me off.”

The unnamed Eastern Conference executive wasn’t the only one to praise the Celtics. Another “Eastern Conference source” told Bulpett that “Brogdon could be really important to them.”

“But after how Boston got back together and got to the Finals, we’re all looking at them now, and they got better. Better. They got a shooter (Danilo Gallinari) and shooting guard who can be solid on both ends and can go for a big number offensively in the right situation.”

The moves of Brogdon and Gallinari, a 38.2 percent 3-point shooter in his 14-year career, have also made the Celtics title favorites in some eyes. Immediately after the Brogdon trade was reported, the Celtics actually became the favorite to win the title at multiple sportsbooks. Weeks later, Boston remains the favorite to win the title in 2023 on Draft Kings sports betting.

Some bookmakers have also started posting over or under win totals for the 2022-23 season. PointsBet lists the Celtics’ win total at 55.5, which is the highest on their available over/under win total list. After a slow start in 2021-22, the Celtics won 51 games to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Outside of Brogdon and Gallinari, most of Boston’s moves have been made toward the bottom of their roster this offseason. The Celtics selected Alabama shooting guard JD Davison late in the second round with their only pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. They also re-signed Sam Hauser to a three-year deal in hopes he breaks the rotation soon. and retained center Luke Kornet.

While the Celtics didn’t give up any major rotational players in the Brogdon trade, they did give up their insurance at center in Daniel Theis. The five-year veteran started five games in the playoffs when Robert Williams was unavailable. The Celtics also chose to rest Al Horford at many of the ends of back-to-back games last season, and Theis logged more minutes in those games after he was traded to Boston in February.

However the Celtics decide to replace Theis, the trade for Brogdon has several people ready to call them favorites to win it all in 2023.