Malcolm Brogdon Announces NBA Retirement After 9 Seasons

New York Knicks guard Malcolm Brogdon is retiring from the NBA after nine seasons, he told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Malcolm Brogdon Had Been Considering Retirement

Brogdon, who averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in a career-low 24 games for the Washington Wizards last season, was slated to make the Knicks’ final roster.

However, Brogdon had been contemplating retirement and informed Knicks officials of his decision, per Charania. He appeared in just 63 games over the past two seasons, according to Basketball Reference.

“Today, I officially begin my transition out of my basketball career,” Brogdon said in a statement. “I have proudly given my mind, body and spirit to the game over the last few decades. With the many sacrifices it took to get here, I have received many rewards.”

Malcolm Brogdon was set to make the Knicks’ regular season roster, but had been contemplating retirement and informed Knicks officials on Wednesday of his decision. Full statement from Brogdon on his sudden retirement: https://t.co/Z8IdTGBznj pic.twitter.com/WX2Gfc7bHv

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 15, 2025

“I am deeply grateful to have arrived to this point on my own terms and now to be able to reap the benefits of my career with my family and friends. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all who have had a place in my journey,” he continued.

Brogdon signed with the Knicks on Sept. 12, and Charania reported at the time that he was “expected to have a rotation role for new coach Mike Brown.”

Malcolm Brogdon Was Knicks’ Only Other True Point Guard

More importantly, Brogdon was New York’s only other option for a reliable point guard besides Jalen Brunson. He’s better than Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews, so it’s unclear what led to his retirement decision.

While he’s dealt with injuries throughout his career, he said just last week that he felt great.

“I think people that haven’t done this have a lot of opinions about some of the greatest athletes in the world,” Brogdon said last week following a Knicks practice, “and I don’t think people actually understand what it’s like to go through this. I don’t think they actually understand what your body must feel like to play at this level for years and years. And I don’t think they understand the wear and tear of this game.

“But when you sign up for this, you sign the contract and people are going to have opinions. You just, as a player, you gotta block that out because it doesn’t matter. You have to try to stay healthy, and when you’re healthy, dominate.”

Brogdon Won NBA Rookie Of The Year, NBA Sixth Man Of The Year

Brogdon, who turns 33 in December, was selected 36th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2016 draft out of the University of Virginia. The 6-foot-4 guard spent his first three seasons with Milwaukee.

The Georgia native then averaged a career-high 7.1 assists in the 2019-20 season with the Indiana Pacers. In the following season, he logged career bests of 21.2 points and 5.3 rebounds with a shooting line of .453/.388/.864.

In addition, Brogdon was the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Bucks in 2017 and the NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics for the 2022-23 season.

He is one of two players to have won both awards, along with Mike Miller.

Brogdon also became the third Celtics player in franchise history to win the Sixth Man award, joining two-time winner Kevin McHale and Bill Walton.

In 463 career NBA regular-season games (296 starts) across nine seasons, Brogdon averaged 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 29.1 minutes per contest with the Bucks, Pacers, Celtics, Trail Blazers, and Wizards.