Boston Celtics guard’s surprising comments could signal offseason trade

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard seemed to indicate that there will be a trade involving members of the team’s backcourt one way or another with his recent comments on the Point Forward podcast hosted by Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala.

Pritchard told the two NBA veterans that he has talked to Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens about getting him a bigger role — and used the curious language ‘after I’m done here.’

Here was Pritchard’s quote with full context along with Iguodala’s question (transcribed by MassLive):

"AI: “Walk me through the next 5 or 10 years for yourself.”PP: “Obviously after I’m done here, after this year, I’d like to look — be a part of a bigger role a little bit.”AI: “You should want that.”PP: “I definitely do. It’s obviously what I work for. I think that’s what Brad and them know, too. We’ve had that discussion but — a bigger role. I want to be part of a winning culture but I want to also help that, be a really big piece of that. I’m not saying it’s the best player on the team but I don’t know what my future holds unless I can take that next step. I don’t know what it is in five or 10 years but I just want to look back and know that I put my best foot forward. I put all the work in so whatever happens I can live with as long as I did it my way. That’s the most important thing for me.”"

Boston Celtics backcourt was always going to be broken up after 2022-23 season

In a way, the Boston Celtics backcourt was built by Brad Stevens and co. to be broken up. Adding Malcolm Brogdon to an already crowded guard rotation that already had Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Pritchard on board.

Back last summer, it was relayed by MassLive’s Brian Robb that one of the four was a likely goner at some point. Given the decreased role for Pritchard and the Celtics still clawing their way to a league-best record, it makes sense that at least one side is looking to move on.

It has been reported that Boston had plans to keep Pritchard beyond the trade deadline, and that is likely still true. But a trade in the offseason for Pritchard and the Celtics seems like a foregone conclusion, championship or not.