NBA
League insiders report that the Celtics have been one of the ‘more active teams’ in trade discussions this offseason
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 WolpinUpdated15 Jun 2023
The past two offseasons have ended quite poorly for the Boston Celtics. In 2022, they lost in six games to the Warriors. This past postseason, they lost to the Miami Heat at home in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s clear that Boston is a piece or two away from getting back to the NBA Finals and winning. League insiders report that the Celtics have been one of the “more active teams” in trade discussions this offseason.Â
Brian Robb of MassLive had the report that the Celtics are serious about making a few trades this offseason. One area where the Celtics seem to have a logjam is with their backcourt. Derrick White, Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard all fought for playing time.
Pritchard was the odd man out of those four and saw the least amount of playing time. All of those mentioned players are under contract with Boston for next season.
The Boston Celtics are very active in trade talks, per @MassLiveBoston pic.twitter.com/mfziG2zQxI
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 15, 2023
The Celtics could be very active in the trade market this offseason according to league sources
It makes the most sense for the Celtics to move on from Payton Pritchard. His playing time and points per game have decreased each season since he was a rookie in 2020-21. He played in 48 of their 82 games this season and made three starts. Pritchard has been open with Boston’s front office and the media that he wants to go to a team where he can play a bigger role.
Reports say that he has supporters within the Suns’ organization. Trading Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, or Derrick White would give the Celtics the most financial stability if that’s what they are looking for. Those three players are set to make up 1/3 of Boston’s payroll next season.
Additionally, it was clear this postseason that the Celtics need some help down low. Al Horford and Robert Williams were not getting the job done at times and it hurt Boston. Brain Robb also reported that the Celtics have shown interest in trading for Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart.
