The Boston Celtics received a trade request by third-year guard Payton Pritchard last season, as he fell out of the rotation due to acquiring Malcolm Brogdon via trade last summer.

If Boston decides to, it won’t be hard for them to unload Pritchard, as he has value around the league. He has career shooting splits of 43/40/89 and is a relentless competitor on both ends of the court.

We learned the Golden State Warriors were interested in Pritchard at midseason last year and now it’s being reported that the Phoenix Suns have real interest in Boston’s fourth year guard.

“Payton Pritchard, the former first-round pick who fell out of Boston’s rotation, has several supporters in Phoenix’s front office, sources said, and is expected to feature prominently in the NBA’s general trade landscape this summer, when Pritchard becomes extension eligible.”

Jake Fischer, Yahoo Sports

In 2021-22, Pritchard played an important role in the Celtics’ limited bench that went on a run in the second half of the season all the way to the NBA Finals while playing 12.9 minutes per game.

When given the opportunity, Pritchard can be useful for any contending team in the NBA, it’s unfortunate that he’s fallen behind in Boston’s rotation at no real cause of his own.

Pritchard deserves to be on a team that’ll use him on a game-to-game basis.

That said, Boston doesn’t have to trade him, as he still has another year left on his rookie deal with the Celtics. So it’s going to be interesting to see what Boston tries to get in return for Pritchard or if they’ll package him as a trade piece.

Follow us on Twitter @CelticsFiles