Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Celtics Announce Payton Pritchard Move After Anfernee Simons Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 8:26 PM ET

Payton Pritchard and the Boston Celtics secured their 31st win of the 2025-26 NBA season on Sunday, routing the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks, 107-79. On Tuesday, Boston will look for a third straight victory as it faces Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on the road.

Pritchard has found success through his first 48 games as Boston’s full-time starting point guard. The former Oregon Ducks star has stepped up as Jayson Tatum continues to recover from an Achilles tear, averaging career highs of 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, prior to Monday. This comes just one year removed from winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11)© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

But on Tuesday, the Celtics made a major roster change ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, acquiring center Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Anfernee Simons.

Simons, who was acquired by Boston in the Jrue Holiday-Portland Trail Blazers trade over the offseason, provided a strong boost off the bench this year, taking over Pritchard's sixth-man role on his way to averaging 14.2 points per game, by far the most on the Celtics' bench.

But with Simons moving on and Vucevic not yet with the team, the Celtics elected to bring Pritchard off the bench against the Mavericks for the first time all season. Against Dallas, Boston started Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta.

"Tonight’s Starting 5️⃣," the Celtics wrote on X.

Tonight’s Starting 5️⃣@DraftKings pic.twitter.com/PxVE41Nshr
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 4, 2026

Prior to Celtics vs. Mavericks, the last time Pritchard came off the bench for Boston was in Game 6 of last year's playoffs against the New York Knicks, when he tallied 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting and four assists in a 119-81 loss.

Up next for Pritchard and Boston, a road matchup against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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