Celtics have made their stance on Payton Pritchard crystal clear

Boston Celtics, Payton Pritchard | Brian Babineau/GettyImagesThe Boston Celtics clearly view Payton Pritchard as a building block moving forward. They have given him the minutes he wanted and have vaulted to second in the Eastern Conference with Pritchard as the starting point guard.

His infamous trade request (subscription required) has long been forgotten. He was upset with his playing time, which makes his transformation even more surprising. Pritchard stunningly went from barely playing to a crucial piece in three years. Teams are kicking themselves for not landing the 6’1 guard in 2023 when they had the chance. Instead, the Celtics kept Pritchard and helped him blossom into a key…