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Boston Celtics have explored trades for No. 35 pick and ‘valuable trade chip’

By Sam LaFrance

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 21: Malcolm Brogdon #13 and Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics react against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on January 21, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 21: Malcolm Brogdon #13 and Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics react against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on January 21, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /
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With the NBA Draft just two days away, the Boston Celtics have yet to pull the trigger on any trades involving their No. 35 overall selection. Over the past week, reports have surfaced that Boston has been actively exploring the market for deals to help strengthen their roster.

The most recent report comes from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, who revealed that the C’s have “explored trades” for their second-round pick and rotation guard Payton Pritchard.

“Sources say the Celtics have explored trades involving this selection and point guard Payton Pritchard to move up into the first round,” O’Connor wrote. “But as The Boston Globe reported on Monday, the Celtics remain high on Pritchard, so he’s viewed as a valuable trade chip.”

Should the Boston Celtics trade Payton Pritchard, No. 35 overall pick to move up?

It would make some sense for the Celtics to do a deal like the one that O’Connor mentioned. Pritchard has voiced a desire to move on in search of a larger role somewhere else this summer. The 25-year-old finds himself in a strange situation. Boston’s guard rotation is deep, with Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon all getting minutes ahead of him. On top of that, there aren’t many clear-cut teams around the league that would give Pritchard a massive amount of minutes.

However, if he doesn’t want to be in Boston then it makes sense to try and garner some value in return for him, ahead of the final year of his rookie-scale contract. Plus, with the new collective bargaining agreement set to kick in after next season, Boston could benefit from finding talent through the draft, which is somewhat easier to do if they move up.

Who’s trading the Boston Celtics for Payton Pritchard?

Swinging things back to Pritchard and which teams may actually be interested in his services next year, a pair of teams stick out.

The Brooklyn Nets are a franchise that could use some help at the point guard position. Heading into the summer, they’ve only got Spencer Dinwiddie and Patty Mills listed at that spot. Dinwiddie is undoubtedly going to get minutes for Brooklyn next year, but Mills is more of a question mark. He appeared in just 40 games for the Nets in the 2022-23 season, playing just 14.2 minutes each time.

Oddly enough, a team that makes sense is the Portland Trail Blazers — just with a twist. Of course, Portland has been in just about every rumor leading up to Thursday’s NBA Draft. The consensus is that the team is selectively looking to offload their No. 3 overall pick along with young talent — like Anfernee Simons and perhaps Shadeon Sharpe — in order to bring in help for Damian Lillard. In the situation that Portland does decide to offload Simons, they could wind up a bit thin at point guard behind Lillard. Pritchard would certainly be a good backup fit for Portland, plus he’d get to go home to the Pacific Northwest.