Celtics trade rumors: Boston reportedly willing to discuss Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard

BOSTON  — The Celtics aren’t scheduled to make a pick until late in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. That may change, with Boston reportedly looking to make a move to sneak into the end of the first round Thursday night.

The Celtics are among the teams (along with the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers) looking to acquire a pick in the back half of the first round, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Boston may even be willing to give up a rotation player to acquire that pick.

According to Fischer, the Celtics are willing to discuss a deal involving players such as Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams — “for the right price.”

The Celtics are looking to upgrade the back end of their roster after coming up two wins short of an NBA title, and dealing away either Williams or Pritchard for a first-round pick would be a bit of a backwards move. That is unless trading either of them is followed by acquiring a veteran for the bench, potentially with one of the several TPEs at Brad Stevens’ disposal this summer.

Williams is coming off a career season for Boston, serving as the team’s sixth man for most of the year. The third-year forward became a legit three-point threat, hitting 41.1 percent of his attempts from downtown, while averaging 7.8 points per game. He averaged 8.6 points over his 24 playoff games, including a 27-point explosion in Boston’s Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the East semis.

Williams is signed through next season at $4.3 million and is eligible for an extension this summer. 

Pritchard got off to a slow start to his second NBA season but finished the year with a team-best 41.2 shooting percent from three-point range. He played in 71 regular season games and 24 playoff contests, and was strong off the bench before struggling in the NBA Finals. Pritchard has two years left on his rookie contract.

The Celtics currently own the No. 53 overall pick on Thursday night. According to Heavy.com, Boston is also reportedly interested in the 28th overall pick on Thursday night, which is currently owned by the Golden State Warriors.