Boston Celtics: Could Payton Pritchard be on the trade block this summer?

Danny Ainge did not have a good offseason following the postseason bubble. That’s a fact. His signings and failure to round out the roster with shooting and legitimate ball-handlers hampered the Boston Celtics throughout the regular season, which led to them getting gentlemen swept by the Nets in the playoffs.

All this to say, Ainge did not do everything wrong. On draft night, he took Payton Pritchard with the 26th overall pick in the NBA draft. This pick turned out to be a steal. The four-year player out of Oregon came in ready to contribute and solidified himself as Boston’s 3rd best point guard just a month into his NBA career.

He made a name for himself, shooting the ball, hitting 41.1% of his 248 3-pointers, and showed off some impressive range. He was good off the catch, on the move, and even showed flashes of self-creation from behind the arc. This shooting kept him on the floor since Boston was desperate for any form of spacing, but it might just keep him around in the future too. This article will detail Pritchard’s lot with the Celtics and whether he is a trade piece or a long-term contributor.

To begin, let’s look at Pritchard’s trade value. At 23 years old, Pritchard only has about 3 or 4 years left until he is no longer considered a “Young Asset.” Additionally, his development may begin to curve as he ages which means his ceiling is not much higher than his floor. He will undoubtedly grow as a player, but he won’t be the star many might expect if he was 18 or 19 years old.

Coming out of college as a senior has its advantages, one of which being more prepared for the NBA despite not being as talented as your freshman and sophomore peers. That is likely to be the case with Pritchard, he will always be one of the most solid players from his draft, but his younger draftees will surpass him over the next few seasons as they learn what Pritchard already knew.

Every general manager in the league knows that. It’s the rule of law when it comes to drafting older prospects. Although that does not necessarily hamper Pritchard’s current trade value, teams looking to acquire a point guard of the future may shy away from Pritchard due to his age and low ceiling.

However, teams looking to purchase a backup or a complementary point guard to one of their already burgeoning stars won’t think twice about taking on Pritchard. His already established ability to shoot and score the ball on top of his above-average defense and okay passing make him an ideal role player. Teams like the Pelicans, the Thunder, the Wizards, or even the Bucks would welcome a player like Pritchard.

The determining factor for the Boston Celtics will be the return on Pritchard from those teams. He is a first-round pick, and he’s already proven himself as a capable NBA player, so his price tag is not thrift store material. The C’s would be wise to demand a first-round pick in return and a lower-level contributor.

If Boston puts Pritchard on the trading block, that is what they will net in return. However, Pritchard is unlikely to be on the trading block this summer.

His shooting is vital to Boston’s offense, and he can help the Celtics’ cap situation long-term. The C’s need to grab as many floor spacers this off-season as possible, but they also should not deal with the floor spacers they already have.

That is why it is better to keep Nesmith and Pritchard than to trade them. They provide what Boston needs, but they are also 110% cheaper than any other shooter on the market since they are on their rookie deals. Their contracts give the Boston Celtics’ financial flexibility to bring in other contributors while maintaining a high count of shooters.

This financial flexibility comes in handy when the C’s go star hunting and need to free up their books and keep the team in a spot to support the newly recruited star such as Beal or Steph Curry.

Pritchard should not get traded this summer. It is best for the Boston Celtics keep him, see how he develops in his second season, and revisit this conversation next off-season.