Boston Celtics beat reporter addresses Payton Pritchard's trade status

One reader of MassLive's Brian Robb and his Celtics Mailbag proposed the idea of trading away Payton Pritchard and Jaden Springer to get under the second tax apron, but Robb didn't believe going the route of signing second-round pick Anton Watson and other cheaper minimum value players would keep the bench afloat.

"Boston would be able to dodge some of the basketball penalties imposed by the second apron but would that really be worth giving up a rotation player for a undrafted rookie (Watson)," Robb wrote. "Pritchard had enough of an impact this past season where the answer is no in my mind. The Celtics should be maximizing their ability to contend and win now since it’s only going to get tougher with every year going forward as bigger salaries start to phase in."

Pritchard is perhaps the likeliest of Cs trade block options on their bench because of his cheap-but-still-tradeable pact, but the Celtics did nothing to rock the boat in the offseason and brought back all but Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk. Expecting any significant movement like that isn't realistic.

Boston Celtics have pieces in place for several years

The Celtics are the ultimate win-now team: offering three members on Team USA and America's most notable snub. Al Horford is the aging vet for as long as he sticks around, and Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman Sr. are the "stay-ready" group. Perhaps Baylor Scheierman can fit in somewhere too.

This team is locked in until further notice. One would figure there's no thought from Brad Stevens and the front office to break them until a new ownership group says something about the exorbitant luxury tax bill.

Perhaps this roster will yield more than one title. Perhaps not.

But Banner 18 alone has endeared this team to the city of Boston too much for it to see any significant changes just yet.