Celtics Guard Payton Pritchard Opens up After Not Being Dealt Ahead of NBA Trade Deadline

Should the Celtics have dealt Pritchard?

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics certainly were quiet ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. 

Rumors surely swirled around the club, but the Celtics ultimately only opted to trade for Mike Muscala ahead of the deadline. Boston had been connected to other big names on the market -- with former San Antonio Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl being the biggest -- but chose a smaller move instead. 

Boston guard Payton Pritchard had been heavily rumored to be dealt ahead of the deadline but the ultimately decided against a move much to his chagrin. Pritchard recently opened up about staying in Boston in a conversation with the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.  

“I definitely was expecting and hoping (for a trade),” Pritchard said to Washburn. “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 to keep growing.

“It was an emotional day, but you know I’m here and I quickly changed my mind and I’m here to do a job to the best of my ability. For me my mindset is just come in every day and keep getting better. The only thing I can do is focus on that.”

Pritchard has seen his role expand with the Celtics lately as the team has dealt with injuries to Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon, but when the duo are in Boston's lineup Pritchard will continue to serve as a depth piece for the club. The young sharpshooter has shown that he can be one of the team's best shooters when given an extended role, but it's difficult to carve such a role with Smart, Brogdon and Derrick White on the roster. 

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