Over the past two years, Payton Pritchard has proven himself to be an elite half-court shot maker. He hit multiple heaves during the Boston Celtics‘ win over the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Yet, while Celtics fans celebrated every half-court attempt, it would appear members of the Mavericks roster were growing frustrated. During a recent livestream with Jaylen Brown, former Celtics guard Kyrie Irving revealed that he’d considered throwing a punch at Pritchard during that series.
âWe were going to halftime,” Irving said. “I ainât gonna lie to you, I thought about swinging. One time, just to see where he was at. Â I thought about swinging one time.”
Irving is already part villain to the Celtics fanbase. If he’d swung a punch at Pritchard, he would have re-ignited his feud with the city. Fortunately, Irving’s comments were clearly a passing joke, with no malice behind them. Nevertheless, it is proof that Pritchard’s half-court bombs can be significantly deflating for opposing teams, especially when he sinks them while the team is already in the lead.
Celtics Urged to Target Damian Lillard
While Irving’s tenure with the Celtics ended badly, another All-Star guard could be about to embark on his own journey with the franchise. Damian Lillard was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this season. In a recent edition of NBC Sports Bostonâs âEarly Edition,â Celtics insider Gary Washburn urged Boston to add him to the roster.
âItâs cheap,â Washburn said. â$5.6 million mid-level, two years, because heâs already getting paid by the Bucks. So money is not an issue. You sit him for this yearâ¦You have two All-NBA players coming back along with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, and then whoeverâs center. Two All-NBA players, three All-Stars, and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in youâre starting five, and you come back to try to win another title in â26-â27.â
Lillard is currently dealing with an Achilles tendon tear. He will likely miss most, if not all, of the 2025-25 season. Nevertheless, adding a star-level guard on a veteran minimum deal is a rare opportunity. If he’s open to joining Boston, the Celtics would be wise to make a deal happen.
Pritchard Has Proven his Importance to the Celtics
Regardless of Irving’s comments or whether the Celtics acquire Lillard this summer, it’s unlikely that Pritchard will lose any playing time. Over the past two seasons, he’s proven himself to be one of the best backup point guards in the NBA. He was named the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year.
Pritchard played in 80 regular-season games for the Celtics last season. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range.
Considering Brad Stevens has traded away Jrue Holiday, and Anfernee Simons’ future with the franchise is currently in question, the Oregon native could find himself stepping into an even larger role next season. Pritchard has proven himself at the highest levels. Therefore, he should have a long career with the Celtics ahead of him.
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