The Boston Celtics have agreed to terms on a four-year, $30 million contract extension with guard Payton Pritchard according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal is fully guaranteed, and will kick in at the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
Pritchard was set to become a restricted free agent next offseason, and his future with the club had been in question for some time. The former Oregon Duck had openly pined for more playing time, and was reportedly growing concerned about his role with the Celtics. This new contract extension should answer many of those questions, and will keep Pritchard in the Hub for the foreseeable future.
Buy Celtics TicketsIt was a busy offseason for Boston, and now Pritchard figures to be a key part of the guard rotation behind Derrick White and the newly-acquired Jrue Holiday. Head coach Joe Mazzulla is likely to lean on Pritchard heavily given this new deal and the need for reliable guard play off the bench.
Projecting the Boston Celtics' 2023-24 season part III: The players https://t.co/KR1WdQWfkw
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Last season Pritchard averaged just 13.4 minutes per game, his lowest mark as a pro. With a more consistent role in the prior two seasons, though, Pritchard was an effective 3-point shooter and scrappy defender. Perhaps with more consistent playing time, he will be able to return to from.
This deal is also notable because it gives the Celtics a long-term asset on the books. Boston has a number of hefty contracts owed in the coming years, and Pritchard’s deal helps balance out what figures to be a very top-heavy cap sheet next year and beyond.
Pritchard and the Celtics will play a handful of preseason games before kicking off the 2023-24 regular season campaign in earnest on October 25 on the road against the New York Knicks.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 8, 2023
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