The 2023 NBA trade deadline has come and gone and the Boston Celtics were one of the teams that was active pulling off a deal to bring in veteran shooting big man Mike Muscala. But it's the trade they didn't make that is now making headlines. Reserve point guard Payton Pritchard was a player whose name had come up in trade chatter in the days leading up to the NBA trade deadline but he ultimately remained on the Celtics roster. Now, Pritchard expressed disappointment with not being traded although he is focused on the second half of the season in a Celtics jersey as per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
“I definitely was expecting and hoping for a trade,” Pritchard said. “But you know, I have to look at the good things. We're the best team in the NBA right now and we have a great team with really great players, so for me it's an opportunity to learn and keep growing.”
Payton Pritchard initially wanted a trade from the Celtics to his decreased role this season and his desire for more playing time. He was solid as a rookie during the 2020-21 season averaging 7.7 points per game, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 44 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from the three-point line in 66 games. Pritchard's minutes have decreased, however, since then and this season he had been playing on 12.6 minutes per game while averaging 4.7 points per game, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists with shooting splits of 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range.
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