Disgruntled Boston Celtics guard could be shopped for disgruntled Knicks big in offseason
Payton Pritchard didn’t get a trade from the Boston Celtics at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, and he’s since let it be known that he wanted one. “I definitely was expecting and hoping [for a trade],” the third-year guard told the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
Pritchard did see the bright side of staying with a contender, and perhaps being a postseason hero during a big title run could make this whole ordeal a humorous memory. But at this point, an offseason deal feels like an inevitability.
If Pritchard does eventually get the bigger role elsewhere he craves, the Celtics could look towards a team with a big man full of potential who may be losing faith his current team could make good on all of it…
The Boston Celtics should explore a Payton Pritchard for Obi Toppin swap with the Knicks
Another 2020 first-round draft pick, Knicks big man Obi Toppin, is similarly disgruntled about his current role — though he is making a bit more obvious than Pritchard given his recent on-court behavior.
After being ignored many times over the past 3 years - this is the first time I’ve seen Obi noticeably frustrated pic.twitter.com/4yHowULuse
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) February 12, 2023
Perhaps the two Atlantic Division rivals could get together in the offseason and swap their unhappy assets in a deal that makes both sides happy.
While one would think of Toppin with someone with far more value in a deal than Pritchard — who admittedly does suffer from being undersized even as a point guard — the highest point per game average Toppin has had in three seasons is only 1.3 points higher than Pritchard’s PPG peak during his rookie season. Add in the fact that Pritchard has logged postseason playing time, including Finals minutes, and you have players who shouldn’t be more than a pick or two apart.
If the Knicks fail to make an impact in the playoffs this April, there’s a realistic chance that they’d cut bait/look to move off of the non-guaranteed backcourt salaries (Derrick Rose, Josh Hart) on the books.
Particularly in the case Grant Williams becomes too expensive in restricted free agency, Toppin would be a great player to target with Pritchard, a 2025 first-rounder, and Sam Hauser to create what would be a loaded Celtics frontcourt in 2023-24 and beyond.