The Cavs Should Trade For This Celtics Point Guard
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One of the positions that the Cleveland Cavaliers could address this offseason is going after a backup point guard to come off the bench.
Ricky Rubio is their only true option on the roster as of now, but he was fairly inconsistent after returning from his ACL rehab. Plus, Rubio isn't getting any younger being 32 years old. Cleveland would greatly benefit from another ball handler off the bench.
That's where the Boston Celtics come into play. Payton Pritchard, who was a part of the 2020 Draft Class, is ready to move on to a new team. He's made it clear on multiple occasions that he hopes to get traded to a team who will give him a chance. Cleveland could be that organization.
Pritchard is coming off another solid season with Celtics averaging 5.6 points a game while shooting 41 percent from the floor. His per36 numbers are more favorable as they project him to average 15.1 points and 3.6 assists a game in Basketball Refernce's projection.
It's pretty clear that he's looking for a bigger role that Boston hasn't given him. Pritchard only averaged 13.4 minutes a night which is down from his previous two seasons.
Pritchard is a solid offensive option but is also a good defender for his size as well, something that is clearly important to the Cavs. He had a defensive rating of 114.6 last season.
The Oregon product has the talent and skill set to make a big contribution to an NBA team. The Cavs could easily give Payton upwards of 20 minutes a night coming off the bench and even give the team big minutes with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell on the floor.
Pritchard's vocal displeasure with his role could force the Celtics to move him whether they want to or not. It's at least worth the Cavs checking in on the situation.
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