Payton Pritchard talks Celtics offseason at Drive Fore Kids press conference

 Former NFL player Ronde Barber, golf personality Blair O’Neal and Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard pose for photos Thursday in Portland at a press conference for this weekend’s Drive Fore Kids golf tournament at Falmouth Country Club. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer) View 14 photos PORTLAND — It’s been a noisy offseason for the Boston Celtics. And Payton Pritchard has heard it. Rumors of one star, Giannis Antetokuonmpo, coming in. Rumors of another, Jaylen Brown, heading out. Speculation of a shakeup to one of the NBA’s best rosters, coming in one way, shape or form. “It’s part of the business, so we know what we signed up for,” Pritchard said. “It’s tough, but hopefully we’ll get things worked out and we’ll have a great year ahead.” Pritchard, the Celtics’ 28-year-old guard, was speaking during an event in Portland kickstarting the Drive Fore Kids, the annual celebrity golf fundraiser being held Friday through Sunday at Falmouth Country Club. Pritchard, a first-year player in the event, was present alongside NFL Hall of Famer Ronde Barber and former pro golfer and current Golf Network personality Blair O’Neal, both of whom have played in the tournament each year since its inception in 2023. Pritchard, the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year, who picked up golf last year and is already a 5 handicap, said he’s eager to try his swing competitively. Advertisement “That’s what I’m looking forward to, playing in front of a crowd and, obviously, a competitive spirit,” Pritchard said. “I’ll definitely have a little bit of nervousness to me, but more excitement.” Pritchard was also asked questions about the Celtics’ offseason, which has been the topic of national discussion since the team was upset by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Taking center stage in the talks has been the future of Brown, the five-time NBA All-Star who was reportedly the centerpiece of a trade offer the Celtics made in pursuit of Antetokuonmpo, the disgruntled Milwaukee Bucks star. Antetokuonmpo was traded late Monday to the Miami Heat. “I don’t even look at it, I try not to think about it,” Pritchard said of the team’s Antetokuonmpo pursuit. “It’s above my pay grade.” [](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/23/browns-future-with-celtics-remains-murky/) Related [Jaylen Brown’s future with Celtics remains murky](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/23/browns-future-with-celtics-remains-murky/) Even after the trade, speculation has continued to swirl about a potential exit for Brown, with a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday saying the Celtics are still “actively engaged in trade talks” involving him. Pritchard said he and Brown “have our conversations 1-on-1,” but didn’t go into how the 29-year-old Brown is handling the trade speculation. He said, though, that a Brown return should the trade talks fall through wouldn’t be awkward. Advertisement “He’s a legend in Boston, and he will forever be a legend,” Pritchard said. “He’s led us to a championship, he’s done tremendous things. He’s had one heck of a career here, and I think he’ll continue to have a great career.” Pritchard wasn’t the only player at the event to talk about Boston sports. Barber, a former star cornerback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had praise for Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez, who has become a breakout star for the reigning AFC champions. Barber said he helped prep Gonzalez before his rookie year in 2023, and that his talents jumped out. “He was clearly the best guy I saw, just because of his movement, the way that he plays the line of scrimmage and off the ball, he has some rareness about him, he has some twitchiness about him, he has some unique movement skills,” he said. “Then you put on the tape now and you see the same thing, you realize he’s the real deal.” Gonzalez is in discussions with the Patriots about a new contract. Barber thinks the team will pay up. “It’s not if, it’s when,” he said. “He’s rare.” O’Neal, like Barber, will tee it up in Falmouth for the fourth time. The former Arizona State and LPGA Symetra Tour pro said events like the Drive Fore Kids give her a chance to tap into the intensity she had as a player. “It kind of fuels my desire to compete and play competitive golf,” she said. “But now it’s more fun. It frees me up to even play better now than I did then. … It’s not my end-all, be-all like it was back then.” Copy the Story Link Tagged: [boston celtics](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/boston-celtics/), [drive fore kids](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/drive-fore-kids/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-bonifant) [Drew BonifantStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-bonifant) Drew Bonifant covers sports for the Press Herald, with beats in high school football, basketball and baseball. He was previously part of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel sports team. A New Hampshire. [More by Drew Bonifant](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-bonifant)