Former Oregon Ducks star expected to take massive leap amid Jaylen Brown departure

The NBA offseason has been truly chaotic, starting with the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes and running through the start of free agency. When the Boston Celtics were in the running for the Bucks star, it showed that the team was willing to part ways with one of its franchise stars. Once Jaylen Brown was made available for Antetokounmpo, it seemingly marked the beginning of the end.

On Wednesday, the Boston Celtics shocked the NBA world by parting ways with Brown, sending him to the division rival Philadelphia 76ers after they knocked Boston out of the playoffs, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. While the Celtics will hope that Paul George, the draft picks, and the added cap flexibility will help raise their next banner, the team is banking on an emergence from a returning player.

Payton Pritchard expected to be the next Jalen Brunson for Boston

In the aftermath of the Jaylen Brown trade, Celtics fans are still wondering why the team decided to make the move. It appears that the Celtics believe that Payton Pritchard is about to take a massive leap similar to the one Jalen Brunson took once he stepped out of Luka Doncic's shadow, according to Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh.

Any player going on the major run that Jalen Brunson took would be seemingly impossible, but Payton Pritchard will almost certainly take a big jump in production with an increased role, especially with this style of offense the team has played..

This past season was the best of Payton Pritchard's career, likely because of the absence of Jayson Tatum, which allowed him to serve a bigger role. Pritchard averaged 17.6 points per game with 5.2 assists per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and he shot 37.7% from 3.

When you look at the production Pritchard was able to post when the team was without Brown and Tatum this season, it's clear that he's ready to lead an offense. In the 3 game sample size, Pritchard averaged 29 points per game, 5.33 RPG, and 5.33 APG.

If the Celtics are going to remain in contention for NBA Championships, players like Payton Pritchard are going to need to continue taking steps forward. Joe Mazzulla's offense is perfect for players who can shoot 3's like Pritchard, and if he can seize the opportunity, he'll help the team, and himself when it's time to sign his next contract.

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