Boston Celtics prompted to trade Payton Pritchard for Bulls vets on trade block.

The Boston Celtics were prompted to deal Payton Pritchard to Chicago for one of the Bulls’ veterans on the trade block.

ClutchPoints’ Mike Cruz believes the Boston Celtics must consider a trade for Payton Pritchard during the 2023-24 season — and that several Chicago Bulls vets, guard Alex Caruso and center Andre Drummond, are the ideal targets in a swap.

“There are veteran players on relatively cheap deals the Celtics can target in a trade using Pritchard as the main piece,” Cruz prefaced before saying, “One of the more highly-coveted role players in the NBA right now is Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso. As one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, Caruso would be a terrific bench upgrade in Boston’s backcourt rotation.

“Boston can also target Bulls reserve big man Andre Drummond to address its lack of depth up front. Kristaps Porzingis is already currently nursing an injury right now and isn’t particularly the most durable player out there. Al Horford is also 37-years-old and needs his rest days throughout the grueling 82-game season. As such, Drummond would provide the Celtics some sort of big man insurance.”

Payton Pritchard not playing poorly enough to warrant trade from Boston Celtics

This isn’t the first time Pritchard has been linked to Caruso. That is an idea that will be difficult to pull off, with other teams like the Los Angeles Lakers likely to be in the mix for the 2020 bubble champion, but one worthy of thought nonetheless.

An idea that isn’t worth of much thought is the idea that Pritchard is a must-trade after struggling to start the 2023-24 season. Pritchard has posted double-digit scoring totals in three of his last five games and slowly has his 3-point conversion rate creeping back up toward 40%.

Boston shouldn’t be trying to completely erase the Danny Ainge era, even if key figures of its late stages like Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III were sent away in the offseason. Pritchard, Ainge’s last first-round selection, has earned a chance to be the second unit’s primary ball-handler until there is a more proven option acquired by the front office; whether it be in a deal that keeps Pritchard in Boston or not.