Oregon Professional Athletes

Two Oregon alumni are commanding attention this week — one as a trade chip, one as a community anchor — as the NBA offseason winds toward training camp.

Pritchard's Celtics Role Is Secure, Until It Isn't

Payton Pritchard enters Boston's training camp as one of only three recognized guards on the roster, alongside newly acquired Mike Conley and Derrick White. That's a thin group, and it's putting Pritchard in a curious dual position: valued enough to start camp as a rotation piece, notable enough to surface in trade speculation.

The chemistry piece, at least, looks promising. Pritchard and Conley have already been putting in work together — playing five-on-five and one-on-one sessions ahead of training camp, according to Yahoo Sports. For a backcourt that needs to gel fast, that kind of voluntary early bonding matters.

But the trade whispers are real. One scenario circulating has the Celtics packaging Pritchard and Sam Hauser to land a 43% three-point shooter to better surround Jayson Tatum — a sign that, however well-liked Pritchard may be in the locker room, Boston's front office is still scanning the market for upgrades. Separately, the Celtics' 15th roster spot remains open, and president Brad Stevens is reportedly considering adding guard depth, which could further reshape the backcourt pecking order.

For Pritchard, it's the familiar offseason tightrope: productive enough to be wanted, affordable enough to be moveable.

Brooks Gives Back in Mesa

While Pritchard's future plays out in Boston's front office, Dillon Brooks spent part of his week making a more direct impact. The Suns forward hosted a youth basketball camp in Mesa, Arizona, giving local kids a day they won't soon forget, per Yahoo Sports.

Brooks, who joined Phoenix last season, has been building his presence in the Valley beyond the court. The camp is a straightforward but meaningful community investment — the kind of offseason story that rarely makes back-page headlines but matters to the families involved.

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Oregon's NBA footprint this week is a snapshot of where different careers sit: Pritchard navigating the complicated middle ground of a contender's roster construction, Brooks establishing roots in a new city one camp at a time. Both Duck alumni are making noise — just in very different registers.

Two Oregon Ducks are making noise this NBA offseason — one at the negotiating table, the other in the mountains of China.

Pritchard's Stock Has Never Been Higher

When the Boston Celtics shipped Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, they didn't just move a star — they opened a door for Payton Pritchard. The Eugene product is now reportedly eyeing a contract extension that could reach $22 million per year, according to ClutchPoints, a figure that reflects both his ascending role and the vacuum Brown's departure leaves in Boston's backcourt.

Pritchard currently has two years remaining on his deal, but the Celtics appear willing to bet on the Oregon guard stepping into a larger offensive role. He's already established himself as one of the league's better shooters off the bench, and with Brown gone, more primary creation opportunities figure to follow. The $22M annual figure would represent a massive leap for a player who has steadily outperformed his contract — and signal that Boston sees him as a genuine piece of their post-Brown identity.

The Celtics' guard depth picture adds context: Pritchard, Derrick White, and newly added Mike Conley are the recognized options at the position. A proposed trade circulating in offseason chatter would bring Kris Dunn to Boston for additional defensive coverage, but Pritchard's offensive upside remains the more pressing storyline for Duck fans watching closely.

Brooks Goes to the Mountains

Meanwhile, across the league in Phoenix, Dillon Brooks is preparing for what could be a defining season — and doing it in the most Dillon Brooks way imaginable.

The Suns forward spent part of his offseason in China, training with UFC fighter Li Jingliang and studying kung fu in the mountains. The images and videos that surfaced are exactly as unhinged and compelling as they sound. For a player whose identity is built entirely on aggression, edge, and a willingness to get under anyone's skin, the training choice is almost too on-brand.

On the court, Brooks has real stakes entering 2026-27. Yahoo Sports ranked him among Phoenix's top three players alongside Devin Booker and Jalen Green — a notable elevation for a player signed to be a hard-nosed complement rather than a co-star. He proved last season he could carry more of the scoring load than expected. The question now, per Yahoo's analysis, is whether he can attack advantages created by others rather than always operating as the primary initiator — a more efficient role that the Suns' expanded offensive toolkit should allow.

Brooks has never lacked confidence or motor. If the kung fu training is any indication, he's not showing up to camp having coasted through September.

The Duck Footprint

Between Pritchard's potential nine-figure extension and Brooks cementing himself as a top-end rotation piece in Phoenix, Oregon's NBA presence is carrying real weight this offseason. Two players, two different coasts, two very different personality profiles — but both firmly in their teams' plans heading into the new season.