Other PG from Marcus Smart trade not realistic for Boston Celtics with Payton Pritchard in tow

The Boston Celtics are highly unlikely to land the other point guard from the Marcus Smart trade, Tyus Jones, ahead of the February 8 trade deadline due to the presence of Payton Pritchard writes CelticsBlog's Jack Simone.

"Not only is the Washington Wizards’ asking price for Tyus Jones likely too rich for the Celtics’ blood, but he also doesn’t fit the TPE," Simone prefaced before saying, "And on top of that, they already have Payton Pritchard. Jones may be the better player right now, but Pritchard’s contract is longer, and he doesn’t solve any potential defensive concerns with the Celtics’ current backup."

Jones is treading water on the Washington Wizards, pitching in solid contributions -- averaging 12 points, six assists, and three rebounds on 49/40/75 shooting -- but experiencing sub-.200 basketball during the 2023-24 season with the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. Jones' $14 million makes him a non-starter for the Celtics, though, with minimal ways to acquire him outside of swapping out Pritchard.

Boston Celtics not landing a game-changer at trade deadline

The Houdini frequently likes to revisit a report from NBC Sports Boston's Jordan Daly that states that the Cs won't pursue a game-changer at the trade deadline to remind folks not to get any hopes up about the days leading up to February 8.

"With most of the minutes already claimed in Boston's nightly rotation, the Celtics aren't looking to bring in a game-changing player -- their main rotation is set and proven to work," Daly prefaced before saying, "Boston's bench -- which was seen as a weak point before the season -- has slowly proven its ability to play meaningful minutes, playing team-first basketball with the goal of getting wins over individual accomplishments. With that in mind, it can still never hurt to add more depth."

Jones is more of a game-changer than the Celtics will be looking for over the next few days. And who knows? Maybe Pritchard can one day put up similar stats on a much more team-friendly contract.