Bye-Bye Payton Pritchard? Where Celtics Could Ship Frustrated Guard

The union between Payton Pritchard and the Boston Celtics appears to be nearing its end.

Pritchard, a valued member of the 2022 Eastern Conference champion Celtics, saw his role diminished severely in 2023. The arrival of Malcolm Brogdon and emergence of Derrick White as a starter left Pritchard as the fifth guard in a rotation including an All-NBA player, a former Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Defense member and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. The 25-year-old averaged just 13.4 minutes per game over his 48 games played, both career-worst marks.

In fact, Pritchard had his worst season in nearly every statistical category in 2023. No wonder why he wants out.

The Oregon product reportedly doesn’t like where his career in Boston is going and wants to be traded this offseason, according to Jay King and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Though that might not be possible considering the money restraints the Celtics are about to be under, it got us thinking of some possible destinations for a guard who could undoubtedly provide valuable minutes to an NBA franchise. Here are a few destinations.

Utah Jazz
What better person to swing a trade for Pritchard than the man that drafted him, Danny Ainge?

Utah has two guards, Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker, facing player options this summer. Though it isn’t likely both leave, the Jazz are looking to rebuild with younger talent, so even one walking out the door should open things up for a 25-year-old veteran guard with playoff experience. Pritchard could replace someone like Kris Dunn, who averaged 25 minutes per game for Utah in 2023, for a relatively cheap price. Let’s say pick No. 28 (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn) in the 2023 NBA Draft?

Golden State Warriors
The Warriors don’t need more shooting, but why not?

Golden State has a lot of decisions to make this offseason, with Donte DiVincenzo owning a player option and Jordan Poole’s money set to kick in. They cannot afford DiVincenzo, which makes Pritchard a solid replacement for a very cheap price. The two play a similar game, and though Pritchard’s lack of size isn’t ideal he is only set to be on the books for $4 million in 2023.

Los Angeles Lakers
This one would just be hilarious.

The Lakers haven’t been able to shoot the ball for the majority of LeBron James’ tenure, which is something Pritchard could help with. DeAngelo Russell and Austin Reaves are question marks, so a big-time backup plan could be bringing in a man who shot 46/40/100 in his second season. Think about it, LeBron.