There was a stretch this season when Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard looked like a keeper, not coincidentally coinciding with the absence of the marquee addition of the 2022 offseason, Malcolm Brogdon.
These days, though, with Brogdon back and Derrick White soaking up most of the other backup backcourt minutes, Pritchard is seen as someone who deserves a chance to thrive in a lineup that has more use for his talents at the moment.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger (subscription required) believes the most recent first-round draft pick the Cs drafted is ‘less valuable to Boston right now than almost any other team,’ and put ‘Fast PP’ on his All-Change of Scenery Team:
"“Boston is going gangbusters but is so deep in the backcourt that Payton Pritchard has been squeezed into a bit role despite performing well in his limited minutes. In his case, one out would seem to be as a trade chip to get Boston another big man.”"
The Boston Celtics are in no rush to trade any rotation pieces
Truthfully, the Boston Celtics front office are in a position to sit back and allow head coach Joe Mazzulla to continue to lead a team that learned to play together on both ends of the floor under Ime Udoka last season as the wins pile up and the rest of the Eastern Conference gets put on the spot to keep up.
Should the Milwaukee Bucks prove to be a challenge in need of reinforcements to compete against when Khris Middleton returns, the conversation could be revisited, but until then, Boston has the means to be patient.
Even if things get to the point, Derrick White could turn out to be the more ideal trade candidate should the front office decide Malcolm Brogdon is deserving of a contract extension. Brogdon himself represents as an expiring contract, and a recent shaky injury history could make him a more suitable trade candidate at some point.
We’re not at that point, though. And we may never get to it if things continue at the current winning pace.