Now that the NBA summer has officially begun, trade proposals of all degrees of seriousness and scope are being bandied about.
A deal involving Payton Pritchard and the Boston Celtics has been proposed
Inside The Celtics’ Bobby Krivitsky proposed a one-for-one fake deal combining Payton Pritchard and former 2020 draft target Jalen Smith, which would make a smaller splash but still benefit the Boston Celtics.
“If the Pacers view this as a deal worth making, the salaries allow for a one-for-one swap, with Pritchard on the books for just over $4 million next season and Smith earning slightly north of $5 million,” Krivitsky wrote.
Krivitsky noted that the Celtics showed interest in Smith during the 2022 trade deadline, while MassLive’s Brian Robb cited the 23-year-old Indiana big man as a possible 2023 trade deadline alternative. Since Grant Williams may leave as a free agent, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was mentioned again.
Payton Pritchard and a second-round draft pick Saddiq Bey has been offered a contract by the Boston Celtics.
Saddiq Bey, a wing for the Hawks, is a less likely trade target but a better match for the Boston Celtics than Smith.
Krivitsky thinks that Pritchard is an attractive target and Bey is a valuable trade piece because Atlanta has other developable wings and a dearth of point guard depth behind Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Krivitsky said: “Atlanta has a pair of young wings it wants to develop in A.J. Griffin and Jalen Johnson, and even if Trae Young and Dejounte Murray get a second year together in the Peach State, the Hawks lack depth at point guard behind them,”
“It’s worth seeing if Pritchard and the 35th pick can bring Saddiq Bey to Boston, even if the expectation is Atlanta says no.”
In Atlanta, which scored zero points at the floor general position outside of the Young-Murray tandem in the Hawks’ six-game postseason series loss to the Celtics, Pritchard would provide an offensive spark off the bench.
After shooting 40% on five 3-point attempts per game in 2022-23, Bey would provide Boston with a catch-and-shoot wing option.
Who can say no? Well, presumably still Atlanta unless the Hawks front management becomes interested in a late-round draft bust while the Celtics are on the clock.
