3 Celtics who are playing for their future in Boston

Payton Pritchard

We have another non-shocker here, as Pritchard stated himself to the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn (subscription needed) following the 2023 NBA trade deadline that he was actively hoping for a trade. “I definitely was expecting and hoping [for a trade],” Pritchard said. “But you know, I [have to] look at the good things. We’re the best team in the NBA right now and we have a great team with really great players, so for me it’s an opportunity to learn and to keep growing.”

From the sounds of it, there’s a chance Pritchard can be convinced to stay in Boston if he could get a larger role. If the Cs continue to have bad injury luck as they seemingly have had for the past several years, Pritchard is most certainly going to play down the stretch of the regular season — and, in case of emergency, the postseason. Pritchard should play in the regular season regardless, since the worst things that can happen are either he boosts his trade value by performing well or gets benched again for struggling.

It would take a signature moment for Pritchard to become a fan-favorite once again. Given the lack of an aggressive trade demand, there’s no bad blood now. The next few months will undoubtedly force a decision either way, though.