From the sounds of things straight from the mouth of Payton Pritchard, the Boston Celtics and the 2020 NBA draft’s No. 26 pick are not long for each other. Recent comments by Pritchard make it hard to picture a long-term future between the Cs and the Oregon product.
While speaking to Andre Iguodala on the Point Forward podcast, Pritchard spoke of what he wants in his future (h/t MassLive):
"“(A bigger role’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.”"
What makes this seem like a possible kind way of asking out is the fact that the Celtics already have a stacked backcourt of in-prime veterans (Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon) locked into long-term deals and Pritchard’s minutes are at an all-time low.
If the inevitable happens by this coming week’s trade deadline, here’s the best trade target each team interested in Pritchard — according to CelticsBlog’s Keith Smith — that the Boston Celtics could target: