5 Celtics whose future is up in the air after winning a title

2. Payton Pritchard

The Celtics signed Pritchard to a four-year extension that begins next season. He is under contract until the summer of 2028 and played well as the team’s backup point guard. Boston would love to keep him, but it may be Pritchard who wants out.

The 6’1 guard wanted to be traded (subscription required) in the 2023 offseason after seeing his playing time dip. Pritchard got his role back in the 2023-24 season, but his playing time fell off in the NBA Finals. He averaged just 12.4 minutes per game but appeared for just a first-half buzzer-beater and garbage time in the decisive Game 5.

The Celtics would love to keep him as their backup point guard, but what does Pritchard desire? If the 26-year-old wants more playing time as he enters his prime, he will have to find it elsewhere. It likely means another trade request.

Dealing Pritchard is the Celtics' avenue for finding a slight upgrade. They cannot aggregate salaries in a trade or take back more money than they send out. The Celtics have no reason to trade any of their top six players, which just leaves Pritchard and has $6.6 million to deal if Brad Stevens can find an upgrade.

Beyond that, Boston would be breaking up their core. That seems unlikely after dominantly winning a championship, but this player might find his way into trade rumors if that decision is made.