Most teams in the East (and a few in the West) are heading into the NBA trade deadline thinking, “how can we catch the Celtics?”
So what are the Celtics going to do at the trade deadline? Probably nothing. There have been rumors about the Celtics listening to offers for guard Payton Pritchard but Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe says don’t bet on that happening.
It’s hard to envision a trade the Celtics could make that would truly upgrade their rotation. Also, they traded their 2023 first-round pick in the Malcolm Brogdon deal. There’s been some suggestion that the team should consider dealing Payton Pritchard, a valuable piece late last season who has fallen back out of the rotation. But Pritchard is just 24 and Boston is just one injury away from needing him.
Marcus Smart, Derrick White start and Malcolm Brogdon make up the core of the Celtics guard rotation, and Jaylen Brown has played 36% of his minutes at the two this season (using Basketball-Reference’s numbers). That leaves Pritchard on the outside looking in a lot of nights, and why he is averaging just 4.4 points a game this season.
However, Pritchard is a solid rotation guard on a very team-friendly salary (he makes $2.2 million this year and $4 million next), which is why other teams are calling and why the Celtics would be hesitant to trade him. Never say never, but a team will have to blow Boston away to get it to shake up this roster.
Check out more on the Celtics
Three things to Know: Should NBA turn to target score for overtime? Malone says not voting Jokic MVP because it would be three straight is “lazy” Three things to Know: Celtics execute better down stretch, beat Clippers
Celtics reportedly going to hang on to Payton Pritchard at trade deadline originally appeared on NBCSports.com
