Payton Pritchard isn’t treating Boston’s offseason like a clean slate.
The Celtics guard made it clear that last spring still hangs over the group after a regular season that went well enough only to end with a playoff collapse. Boston owned a 3-1 series lead and still wound up going home far earlier than expected, and Pritchard said that finish has stuck with him and the team.
“I feel like we have another year that we have to prove it,” Pritchard told Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast. “I thought regular season we did a great job last year. … But obviously in the playoffs, we didn’t have the playoff run we wanted, let a 3-1 lead slip, which [ate] away at a lot of us this summer.”
That sense of unfinished business will follow the Celtics into October, and the roster around Pritchard is changing too. Boston traded Jaylen Brown, who had been his teammate throughout his NBA career, and Pritchard didn’t hide how much that move affects him on a personal level.
He called their relationship a “brotherhood” and said Brown helped bring him along early in his career.
“He’ll be missed mightily,” Pritchard said. “But at the same time, you have to turn the page and get ready for this next year and have a great year and go to war.”
Pritchard also finds himself in a different spot within the locker room now. At 28, he is the second-longest-tenured Celtic behind Jayson Tatum, and he is eligible for a contract extension. For now, though, he’s not pressing the issue.
“There’s no rush on it,” Pritchard said, noting that he still has two years remaining on his contract.
In Other News...
Stephen Curry To Boston Suddenly Feels Like A Real Celtics Debate
The idea of Stephen Curry in Boston has been easy to dismiss as offseason fantasy, but it is getting harder to ignore when it comes from someone who knows him well. D'Angelo Russell, a former Curry teammate, raised the possibility on a recent podcast and framed it around fit, suggesting Curry could thrive with a veteran group built around players like Jayson Tatum and Paul George. Even without any confirmed link between Curry and the Celtics, the conversation lands because Boston is the kind of contender that naturally invites those speculative what-ifs.
Currys future has become a topic in its own right as his contract situation starts to shape the conversation around what comes next. Nothing concrete ties him to the Celtics, and there is no indication a move is on the table, but that has not stopped the league from wondering how far a superstars next chapter could stretch. For Boston, the appeal is obvious: whenever a player of Currys caliber becomes remotely discussable, the Celtics are going to be part of the debate. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Arrives In Boston With One Huge Celtics Question
Paul Georges arrival gives Boston a very different kind of wing presence, one built on shot-making, defense and secondary playmaking. Acquired in the deal that sent Jaylen Brown and four draft picks the other way, he comes in with the kind of all-around skill set the Celtics have long valued, and the team expects him to help in a number of ways while carefully managing his workload.
The question hanging over the move is less about what George can still do on the floor and more about how often Boston can count on him to do it. Even with productive play in the 2025-26 season, his availability has become the real concern, especially with a hefty contract still on the books and the Celtics trying to balance impact with the reality of his age and injury history. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard Saga Could Make The Celtics' East Path Much Tougher
The NBAs investigation into Kawhi Leonard has turned what looked like another routine star transaction into one of the leagues bigger looming uncertainties. At the center of it is a review of alleged no-show endorsement deals tied to the Los Angeles Clippers, with the league trying to determine whether those arrangements helped the team get around the salary cap. For the Celtics and the rest of the East, the ripple effect is obvious: a player of Leonards caliber changing teams can reshape the balance at the top of the conference before anyone even gets to opening night.
For now, the agreed-upon deal sending Leonard to Toronto remains on hold until the league reaches a verdict, leaving the whole situation in suspension. There is still a sense around the league that the trade will eventually be approved, and Leonard is already expected to move forward with extension talks once it is. Until then, Boston and every other contender in the East are stuck watching a high-stakes process that could end with one more major obstacle in the path to the Finals. [Read more 🡒]