The 2025-26 season may end up as an experimental year for the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics are planning to move veteran guard Payton Pritchard from the bench to the starting lineup next season, Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com reported this week. Boston reportedly believes that Pritchard has earned a starting role through his years of steady development with their team.
Afseth adds that the Celtics are plotting to bring newly-acquired guard Anfernee Simons, a former 20-ppg scorer, off the bench in a corresponding move. A report emerged earlier this week stating that Boston was having a difficult time trading Simons this summer. As such, they may have to open up the new season with Simons still on the roster.
The news on Pritchard is surprising given that he is the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year. He has settled into a nice rhythm in his bench role, averaging 14.3 points and 3.5 assists per game last season on exemplary 47/41/85 shooting splits.
On top of that, Pritchard has never been a full-time starter in his NBA career. Through his five seasons up to this point, Pritchard has only started in 17 of his 347 career appearances (almost always as a spot injury fill-in).
But the Celtics are going to have to get creative next season with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) likely out for the whole year and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis (both of whom started on Boston’s 2024 championship team) having been traded away this summer. As such, Pritchard (who was once unhappy with his diminished role on the Celtics) is reportedly set for a nice promotion.
