Boston Celtics: NBCSN names PG in crowded backcourt as Cs trade candidate
How exactly Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla plans on using the roster handed to him in September out of necessity due to the suspension of head coach Ime Udoka is not exactly clear as the NBA season begins this week.
What is clear is that the Cs have far more talent in their backcourt than in their frontcourt, which was hit with an unfortunate injury to Robert Williams III that required arthroscopic knee surgery and will keep ‘The Timelord’ out of action for 8-12 weeks.
Boston has a backcourt whose members all deserve extended minutes, but that is a reality that will not be reached in the aftermath of Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens’ most recent trades.
In acquiring Derrick White for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and a 2022 first-round draft pick at this past February’s trade deadline, and then flipping Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, a 2023 first-round draft pick, and filler salary for Malcolm Brogdon on the first day of free agency, the Boston Celtics effectively pushed Payton Pritchard to the end of the bench — only to be seen in the event of an injury or when other players need a rest day. Considering the strides he has made since entering the league, that isn’t an appropriate place for Danny Ainge’s final first-round selection as GM.
Because of that, NBC Sports’ Sanjesh Singh called Pritchard the team’s clear trade candidate in a piece naming one for every NBA team:
"“Let’s get this clear – should the Celtics trade Pritchard? No. But when you look at their depth at point guard relative to other roles, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart and Derrick White are ahead in the pecking order. Though Pritchard brings the offensive creativity and spark-plug scoring off the bench that is unique to those three, he might be able to help Boston land more depth in the forward spots.”"
Who the Boston Celtics could trade Payton Pritchard for
Because Payton Pritchard makes a hair under $3 million, there aren’t a ton of options on the trade market that make sense to deal him for at similar value if you are Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. Thus, the most likely course of action for the franchise would be to pair him with Danilo Gallinari’s dead money contract since the ‘Rooster’ won’t likely be returning in time to affect the C’s postseason seeding.
A popular name who will surely gain traction as his team realizes that a chance at Victor Wembanyama is more important than getting bounced from an NBA Play-in game is San Antonio Spurs pivot Jakob Poeltl. Of course, anyone on the Utah Jazz could likely be had as well with Danny Ainge now running the show and seemingly on a mission to stockpile draft picks like he did in the mid-2010s. Names of interest include Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, and Jarred Vanderbilt.