Amid increasing interest around the league, the Boston Celtics still intend to stick around with Payton Pritchard.
Per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics will keep Pritchard despite the circling buzz that the club should ship the young guard.
It’s hard to envision a trade the Celtics could make that would truly upgrade their rotation. Also, they traded their 2023 first-round pick in the Malcolm Brogdon deal. There’s been some suggestion that the team should consider dealing Payton Pritchard, a valuable piece late last season who has fallen back out of the rotation. But Pritchard is just 24 and Boston is just one injury away from needing him.
Compared to his first two seasons, the 24-year-old Pritchard has been shoved back from the Celtics’ lineup this year due to the team’s backcourt logjam. With Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon logging with the most experience and expertise, Pritchard has been dealing with a reduced role and exposure – averaging just 4.0 points in 9.9 minutes.
As such, with Boston holding such highest aspirations for a title this season, it is worth noting the importance of what Pritchard can still bring in times of player depletion. He also only makes a team-friendly $2.23 million this season, which is absolutely a steal on what the Cs demand for an insurance cog.
