Getty Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have arguably the deepest guard rotation in the NBA, much to the detriment of Payton Pritchard, who has seen his role within the rotation diminish throughout the season.
As such, it’s no surprise that the third-year guard has already begun making moves with the off-season in mind, as according to the Creative Arts Agency’s Instagram account Pritchard has recently switched agents. When asked about the move, Pritchard told MassLive’s Souichi Terada, during a recent shootaround, that it was a ‘business decision.’
“At the end of the day, it’s a business decision,” Pritchard said. “I think when you’re going into making choices on your future and your business, you want somebody that you believe is going to represent you in the best way and really help you. I’m not dissing my previous agent or anything like that. At the end of the day, it’s a nerve-wrecking time so you want to go with somebody that you really believe.”
Pritchard has missed the Celtics’ last four games through injury and currently has no timeline set on a return to the rotation, further hurting his chances of earning a spot in Boston’s playoff plans.
Celtics Almost Traded Pritchard
According to a February 9 report by MassLive’s Brian Robb, the Celtics almost traded Pritchard to the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline, as he was part of their failed package to try and land veteran big man Jakob Poeltl.
New: Spurs declined Celtics trade offer for Jakob Poeltl before dealing big man to Raptors league sources tell MassLive. Details on Boston’s offer and what may come next for Celtics on deadline day
“League sources tell MassLive that Boston offered Payton Pritchard, Danilo Gallinari, and multiple future second-round picks for the big man ahead of Thursday’s deal. Ultimately, the Spurs elected to go with the Raptors’ offer which included a top-6 protected first-round pick for 2024, two future second-round picks, and center Khem Birch,” Robb reported.
Pritchard has participated in 45 games for the Celtics this season, averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1 assist per game while shooting 39% from deep and 33.1% from three-point range.
Pritchard Committed to Celtics Championship Push
When speaking to the media on February 12, following Boston’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Pritchard addressed the rumors surrounding his immediate future with the Celtics.
“I love this organization. This whole thing is about me wanting to play because that’s what I love to do.”
Payton Pritchard wants to clear up his feelings for Boston, and his teammates after expressing wanting more playing time before the trade deadline
“My minds already reset, and I’ve already been open about where I was at. And I’m here now. I’m a professional at the end of the day, I’m gonna work, and any minute I’m gonna play because I love to play basketball. This whole thing about what everybody’s been saying, you know, I love this city, I love this organization, I love my teammates, this is like one of the best…I’m here, and I do love it here, and I’m committed. I wanna help this team any way I can to win a championship,” Pritchard said.
Still, with a limited role available in Boston, and an eagerness to continue being a viable member of teams rotation, it would make sense if Pritchard looked to find a new home in the off-season, and changing agents could be a precursor to that. The Celtics will likely be without Pritchard when they face off against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 17.