Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Teams Showing Interest in Celtics Guard Payton Pritchard (Report)
Payton Pritchard's played in 23 of the 36 games he's been active for, as the start of his third NBA season has included 13 did not play - coach's decisions.
Even when the former Oregon Duck gets in the game, most of his appearances have come in garbage time. Pritchard's averaging 9.9 minutes per contest, seeing his minutes decrease for the second-straight year.
There was a four-game stretch in November where Pritchard provided a spark off the bench, including an 11-point, five-rebound performance that included earning the Celtics four second-chance opportunities in a 131-112 win against the Nuggets.
Pritchard also teamed up with Derrick White to apply the full-court pressure that changed the complexion of Boston's 126-122 victory over the Thunder. He scored ten points, grabbed four rebounds, and swiped two steals that night.
Two days later, he registered a season-high 14 points, drilling 4/6 threes, dished out four assists, and grabbed three rebounds in a 126-101 win against the Hawks.
Pritchard's a tough on-ball defender, who's held his own defensively in the playoffs, he's a career 40.4 percent three-point shooter on 3.4 attempts per game, and he's a smart player who can handle the backup point guard role, play off the ball, and he brings energy off the bench.
He's also on a rookie deal paying him $2.2 million this season and $4 million for the 2023-24 campaign.
Intrigued by the idea of what he could provide with more playing time, teams are reportedly gauging the Celtics' willingness to part with Pritchard, per Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com.
"You’ve got to wonder about him defensively at that size (listed at 6-1), but he plays hard, he can really push the ball, and he’s got a nice stroke from 3," one personnel man expressed to Bulpett.
"I like what I see, but it’s hard to say for sure if he could do more with a better opportunity. And first you have to ask if he’s better than what you have and if he’ll even get more of a look with your team. It’s hard to say, but I know I’m not the only team checking on him. It’s always natural in these situations."
At 26-11, Boston boasts the NBA's best record. At +350 odds, SI Sportsbook lists them as the betting favorite to win the championship. And with Robert Williams back and likely taking White's place in the starting lineup soon, if the Celtics are healthy, it projects to get even more difficult for Pritchard to carve out playing time.
Boston could play him alongside two other guards since Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and White can bump up to defend shooting guards and small forwards, but the Celtics have opted against that approach so far.
And with Brogdon and White under contract through 2025, as valuable an insurance policy as Pritchard is, trading him feels increasingly likely as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.
It will take an interested suitor that can offer the Celtics a third center who slots ahead of Luke Kornet on the depth chart, backing up Al Horford and Robert Williams, or a big wing that can space the floor to add to their rotation.
While Jakob Poeltl is likely to cost more than what Boston will or should pay for a rental, centers that fit the bill include Naz Reid, who's producing 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and a block per game for the Timberwolves. Mason Plumlee, who's generating 10.5 points, 9.2 boards, and 3.7 assists for the Hornets.
And old friend Kelly Olynyk, who's averaging 12.6 points, hoisting 3.5 threes and converting them at a 42.6 percent clip, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for a Utah Jazz team with considerable flexibility between now and the trade deadline. Trading for him would most likely involve the inclusion of Danilo Gallinari's contract.
If the Celtics want to acquire a player like Poeltl or Kyle Kuzma, they'll have to part with someone from the top eight of their rotation, and while Grant Williams is scheduled for restricted free agency, doing so seems unlikely.
Further Reading
The Top 5 Plays from Sunday's Celtics-Nuggets Game
