The NBA trade deadline is just a few days away, but Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard is already starting to think about a future departure from Boston.
On the latest episode of the “Point Forward” podcast, which is run by former Celtics guard Evan Turner and Golden State veteran Andre Iguodala, Pritchard revealed that he has hopes for a bigger role on another team in the coming years:
“After I'm done [in Boston], after this year, I'd like to be part of a bigger role a little bit,” Pritchard said. “I want to be part of a winning culture but I also want to help that, be a really big piece of that. I'm not saying it's about being the best player on the team but I don't know what my future holds unless I take that next step.”
Pritchard is averaging just 12.5 minutes per game on a contending Boston squad that features talented guards like Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart. Since he's not getting many opportunities in Beantown, the 25-year-old has considered leaving the Celtics as soon as next year. There's even a chance Boston deals him prior to the February 9th trade deadline in exchange for some added depth or draft picks.
With the best record in the NBA, the Celtics haven't shown an immediate need for the Oregon native. He's been productive in spurts and a solid spark off the bench, yet he likely won't crack into a more prominent role.
While Pritchard's comments were about as respectful as possible for someone essentially saying they want a trade, he faced some backlash on Twitter that Iguodala helped combat:
Y’all can’t be this stupid. If you don’t want this for yourself as a person, then what’s the point of it all!!??
— andre (@andre) January 30, 2023
Although his time with the Celtics could be coming to a close, Payton Pritchard still has value in today's NBA. With his speed and shooting a lot of squads could use his offensive ability, and teams like the Warriors have even inquired about him.
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