Getty Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics
When it comes to roster depth, the Boston Celtics are one of the luckiest teams in the NBA, but that hasn’t stopped Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz from proposing a trade that would add further talent to the Celtics’ bench.
The trade proposal looks like this:
Phoenix Suns get: Derrick White
Boston Celtics get: Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne
“Boston would be an ideal fit for Crowder, as the team could use more size and shooting off the bench with Danilo Gallinari’s ACL tear likely keeping him out for the year. Payne helps replace White’s ball-handling in the rotation as well,” Swartz wrote in a story published October 21.
Game. Payton Pritchard wins it for the Celtics with 0.2 seconds left.
If the proposed trade ever became a reality, Crowder would be joining the Celtics for the second time, having played three seasons with the team between 2014 and 2017, when he averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game on 35.2% shooting from deep and 44.4% from the field.
Since leaving Boston, Crowder has earned a reputation for being a winning player and one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league, but after being a starter for the past two seasons with the Phoenix Suns, there’s no guarantee he would be willing to revert to a bench role.
Crowder, 32, is in the final year of a three-year, $29 million contract. After starting 80 games for the Suns last year, he held out of Phoenix’s training camp as he sought an extension and was listed as inactive in the Suns’ opening-night win October 19 against the Dallas Mavericks.
White, meanwhile, is under team control through the 2024-25 season. His cap hit this season is $16.4 million and will increase to $18.8 million by the time the contract expires.
Adding Cameron Payne Would Hurt Payton Pritchard
The other player involved in Swartz’s trade proposal is point guard Cameron Payne, a 6-foot-1 three-point specialist who can play both on and off the ball. However, the Celtics already have a three-point specialist guard, Payton Pritchard, who is arguably a more consistent scorer.
Pritchard is also the same height as Payne, he knows the Celtics system, has a rapport with the fanbase and is unquestionably a better ball-handler. As such, Payne’s addition to the Celtics would be nothing more than a salary-matching effort to make the deal work.
Yo that’s crazy Cameron Payne really shoot like he do in 2K lmao
Logically, if White was traded to Phoenix, it would be Pritchard who saw a bump in his minutes, regardless of whether Payne made his way to Boston along with Crowder or not. Last season, Pritchard shot 41.2% from three-point range, proving his value as one of the best sharpshooting guards in the NBA.
Pritchard Could Be Traded
Another scenario that could open up minutes for Payne, would be if Payton Pritchard was traded throughout the season — a scenario that Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote was a possibility.
In his October 19 article, Buckley noted how Pritchard’s road to a regular rotation spot is currently blocked by the offseason arrival of Malcolm Brogdon, and that could lead to the Celtics trading away their sharpshooting guard.
Payton Pritchard snatched some ankles earlier today 🤭
“Pritchard has struggled to find consistent floor time through two NBA seasons, and that could continue to be a challenge given his lack of size (6’1″, 195 lbs) and athletic limitations. However, teams could still see significant spark-plug potential in him,” Buckley wrote.
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Proposed Trade Lands Celtics $29 Million Wing