Not that he really needed to be there anyway, but Payton Pritchard will not suit up for the Boston Celtics for the remainder of the NBA Summer League.
The guard wasn’t in attendance at practice Friday, and coach Joe Mazzulla revealed he’ll miss the remaining two games due to a prior commitment.
“We’re having a talk as a team and organization, and Payton won’t be with us the rest of the way,” Mazzulla told reporters after practice at UNLV. “That’s a prior engagement he made months ago and it’s something we honored.”
Pritchard did look a little out of place, dominating for the summer roster after getting plenty of big boy reps in his rookie year as one of the Celtics go-to ball handler.
In three Summer League starts, Pritchard averaged 20.3 points on 57.7 percent shooting, showing off his range often. He’s a big reason why Boston is undefeated in play and a contender for the Summer League final.
A win Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers will determine the Celtics’ fate for Tuesday night’s championship game.
