NBA
Boston’s Payton Pritchard is rumored to be a starter in 2025-26
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated17 mins ago on August 14, 2025
When Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles, the Celtics’ front office knew they had tough decisions ahead. The team could not justify being in the second-apron with Tatum.
That’s why Boston traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Holiday was Boston’s starting PG, and there’s a vacancy waiting to be filled by someone on the roster. According to Grant Afseth of the Fastbreak Journal, Pritchard is rumored to be a starter in 2025-26. After winning Sixth Man of the Year last season, the PG could be elevated to a starting role.
All signs point to Payton Pritchard starting at PG in 2025-26
The Boston Celtics are expected to start Payton Pritchard and have Anfernee Simons come off the bench, per @GrantAfseth
“The Boston Celtics appear poised to elevate Payton Pritchard into the starting lineup while using Anfernee Simons as a high-scoring option off the bench for… pic.twitter.com/M6FuG6MELu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 14, 2025
With the 26th pick in the 2020 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Payton Pritchard out of Oregon. Over five seasons, the PG has played in 347 games and has 17 starts. In 2024-25, Pritchard played in 80 of Boston’s 82 games and made three starts. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. The 27-year-old averaged 28.4 minutes per game for the Celtics.
This offseason, Boston parted ways with veteran PG and two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday. He was the team’s starting PG. Grant Afseth reported that the Celtics are “poised” to make Payton Pritchard a starter in 2025-26. Boston will start Pritchard and have Anfernee Simons as a high-caliber scoring option off the bench.
Payton Pritchard averaged 21/5/8 on 51.7/41.3% in 11 starts in the Joe Mazzulla Era btw
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) August 14, 2025
Much like Pritchard was for the Celtics in 2024-25. Questions surround Boston’s chances to win a championship in the upcoming season. The team will be without the services of Jayson Tatym. Additionally, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are no longer on the roster. Both were key pieces of Boston’s championship run in 2024. Despite the skeptics of the Celtics, Payton Pritchard believes Boston could win a title next season. He said the team’s standard is to win championships. Pritchard plans for the Celtics to compete in 2025-26.
