“We’re going to compete for a championship. There’s only one standard. That’s the standard we’ll always live by,” said Payton Pritchard in a statement after the Celtics were eliminated by the New York Knicks. Having won a championship back in 2024, which made the Celtics the team with the most NBA championship titles ever (18), Pritchard does not want to go back to getting eliminated in the early stages of the playoffs. Nor do the Celtics fanbase. Unfortunately, with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury casting doubts on his future availability, and NBA.com’s John Schuhmann projecting a ‘darker year’ for the Celtics, it is hard to know whether they are up to competing for another championship. Fortunately, Payton Pritchard continues to hold hope.

Celtics beat reporter Daniel Donabedian recently highlighted part of a conversation between the backup point guard/shooting guard and NBC Boston‘s Chris Forsberg. During the same, Pritchard provided some assurance to Celtics fans by stating that “We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win the championship. It’s not even about the playoffs. We have one standard in Boston and it’s to win the championship.”

These remarks came days after the Boston Celtics front office made several changes to the team. In a move that was described as “surprising”, 21-year-old JD Davison was waived on Thursday, bringing an end to a 3-year run with the team. The move not only opens up a roster spot, but it also gives some additional relief to the Boston Celtics in terms of the salary cap. The team had already attempted to make a dent in that by also parting ways with Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, etc. Even Al Horford continues to remain a part of the trade discussion.

CBS Sports reporter Jack Maloney highlighted back in June that these changes are not solely being made to cover the financial front. There is no official timeline for Tatum’s recovery, and, according to speculation, he will most likely miss the majority of next season. Knowing that they will be without their best player, the team can experiment a bit in this off-season. Something that does not align with Pritchard’s recent remarks.

However, in the end, the Celtics might slowly be working to get to the standard of championship contention. Even if it means sacrificing a season.

With so many key players gone now, things are at an uncertain stage. Fortunately, Payton Pritchard is looking to move on from them and focus on the future.

Payton Pritchard addresses players’ exits amid reports of “significant role”

Payton Pritchard recently sat down for an interview with NBC Sports Boston. During the same, he was asked about his thoughts on the Celtics’ recent ‘transition’, including Luke Kornet’s free-agency exit. Pritchard responded by saying, “I mean, it definitely sucks. You know, you become brothers with your teammates. You’re with them all the time, so definitely going to miss them. It’s part of the business side, so you have to move on. But you see like, a guy like Luke get paid. You know, you have to be happy for him. All the work he has put in to earn that.”

Pritchard soon shifted to discussing the other former Celtics stars, too. He added, “I’m personally going to really miss Jrue. Like, Jrue is like a big brother. Somebody I learned a lot from. One of the best teammates that I’ve ever had, and competitors. …. And he’s a reason why we won a championship. So very going to miss him a lot. And then, obviously, KP, type of person he is. The personality. Boston fans loved him. And heck of a talent. So, we’re definitely going to miss those guys, but you know it’s part of the NBA. So we have to regroup. We got to find new identities. New people need to step up and we need to become, you know, get back to that level”.

These remarks came a month after NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Celtics are looking for Payton Pritchard to have a “significant role” on the team next season. This report came amidst rumors that the point guard/shooting guard was also up for a trade. However, Fischer added that Boston’s front office would listen to any “ultra-aggressive” offers for the backup star, but there’s no indication they would act on it. The same has proven true till now, as Pritchard has remained immune to the recent changes.

How do you think Payton Pritchard will fare in the next season? Do you think he will adjust well to the recent changes and Jayson Tatum‘s absence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.