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9 Players the Boston Celtics held on to for way too long

By Michael Saenz

Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Boston Celtics, Payton Pritchard
Boston Celtics, Payton Pritchard. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Payton Pritchard (2020-present)

Being a late first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, there was hope that the extremely experienced and NBA-ready Payton Pritchard could play a contributing role for a Boston Celtics team that was trying to break through in the Eastern Conference. And during his rookie season with the Celtics, that’s exactly what Pritchard was able to do. During the 2020-21 season, Pritchard appeared in 66 games for the Celtics while averaging eight points per game on 41 percent shooting from 3-point range. The key stat is he averaged 19 minutes per game.

After an encouraging rookie season, however, Pritchard’s role changed during his sophomore season. He managed to play in five more games but played fewer minutes across the board. In his third season, his role was reduced even further. With a logjam in the backcourt, it wasn’t surprising. However, it has gotten to the point where it’s been reported that Pritchard wants a trade.

You can make the argument that Pritchard should’ve been moved after his sophomore season. Really, there’s no argument that he shouldn’t be moved now. Even after trading Marcus Smart, there’s no guarantee that Pritchard will play a huge role with the team this upcoming season.