Celtics reportedly explored Payton Pritchard trades to land a first-round pick

BOSTON -- Unless Brad Stevens pulls off a trade to climb up the NBA Draft board on Thursday night, the Celtics will go a third straight year without making a first-round selection. 

But it sounds like Stevens is dangling Boston's last first-round pick -- guard Payton Pritchard, whom Danny Ainge drafted 26th overall in 2020 -- to potentially leap back into the first round. Stevens has reportedly looked into dealing Pritchard and Boston's lone pick on Thursday night -- 35th overall -- to land a first-round selection.

"Sources say the Celtics have explored trades involving this selection and point guard Payton Pritchard to move up into the first round," The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported in his NBA Mock Draft on Tuesday.

The Celtics traded away their 2023 first-round pick as part of the package sent to the Indiana Pacers last summer for Malcolm Brogdon. While the trade landed the team the Sixth Man of the Year, it also created quite the logjam in the backcourt, with Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Brogdon, and Pritchard all vying for minutes last season.

Pritchard, 26, saw his playing time decrease substantially from his rookie campaign, and has been open about his desire for more minutes. He still has a ton of upside as a talented backup point guard who can knock down shots from deep, and could be intriguing for teams looking to add a player with some NBA experience instead than a rookie.

But Boston may also opt to keep Pritchard, who is signed through the upcoming season at $4 million, if Stevens can find a taker for one of the team's other higher-paid guards. The Celtics reportedly still think highly of Pritchard, according to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach.

With the NBA Draft now just a few days away, expect the trade chatter around the league (and involving the Celtics) to pick up before the picks start coming off the board.