Boston Celtics: 3 Grant Williams-Payton Pritchard trades for a win-now veteran

Win-now moves have defined the Boston Celtics’ offseason so far, with the team acquiring Malcolm Brogdon in exchange for Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, and a 2023 first-round pick in a deal with the Indiana Pacers and signing Danilo Gallinari to the taxpayer’s mid-level exception Friday.

Might it continue? At this point, the Cs have a fully fleshed-out first five that won’t be affected by the 2022 free agency period’s additions. With Brogdon, they have a sixth man that could capably fill in for either backcourt spot should calamity strike the Celtics’ starters. The addition of Gallinari provides the same for the forward spots.

With the additions of the win-now veterans, Boston has a loaded rotation that could result in several players being demoted. A player that immediately comes to mind is Payton Pritchard, who now profiles as the third PG on the depth chart. It was clear when Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens traded Dennis Schroder away that he felt Pritchard was the possible answer as Marcus Smart’s backup. Brogdon coming aboard once again calls that into question. His NBA Finals yips do as well.

Another roster problem Boston could face this upcoming season is Grant Williams not getting enough minutes to find a lucrative deal in restricted free agency next summer. While Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix did mention the possibility of extensions for Williams (and Al Horford) this offseason, the addition of Gallinari might give them pause on potentially overpaying for the soon-to-be fourth-year forward.

Pritchard and Williams could find themselves demoted in this new Celtics rotation. They can find themselves in more featured roles elsewhere. Stevens has plenty of options on the market for the pair, whose combined $6.5 million in salary is easy to move to a team in need of stand-still 3-point snipers that shot better than 40% from beyond the arc last season.

Here are 3 trades the Boston Celtics could make to exchange Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard with win now veterans:

Currently, the Celtics have three 2023 second-round draft picks to offer on the trade market, with the better draft pick between the Houston Rockets’ second-round selection in 2023 and whichever 2023 second-round draft pick is worse between the Grizzlies or Dallas Mavericks, a second-rounder from Atlanta, and the Orlando Magic’s top 55-protected 2023 second-round pick.

Packaging two of those and finding a big man that can sit in front of Luke Kornet would definitely be in the team’s best interest. Khem Birch lost his role in the Toronto Raptors’ rotation in 2021-22 after starting 17 games in 2020-21 and averaging over 30 minutes per game. Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher–who was re-signed by the Raptors to a three-year deal yesterday–and Precious Achiuwa all have priority in Nick Nurse’s rotation, making his presence superfluous in Toronto. Thaddeus Young’s re-signing only supports that statement. A deal shouldn’t be off the table this summer for the 29-year-old.

Payton Pritchard is the main get here as a backup point guard upgrade for ‘The North’, with Grant Williams’ pit bull physique, paired with the long and lanky Raptors scheme, being a potentially tenuous fit. Still, shooting is shooting, and Toronto could use shooting given their bottom third ranking league-wide.