Celtics extend Pritchard on $44.2m deal ahead of bigger role

The Boston Celtics have agreed a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension with Payton Pritchard, according to ESPN. The deal, agreed on Tuesday, keeps the Sixth Man of the Year winner in Boston as he heads into a season in which his role could grow following Jaylen Brown’s trade.

Pritchard has won an NBA championship with the Celtics, but has never been a full-time starter. With more shots and minutes potentially available, the extension could prove valuable for Boston if his production rises.

How the deal took shape

Pritchard was the No. 26 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and landed on a loaded Celtics team that could not find him consistent minutes. Around the 2023 trade deadline, he reportedly wanted to be dealt.

Boston instead signed him to a four-year, $30 million rookie extension. His latest agreement will bring his guaranteed NBA earnings to around $85 million through the first 10 seasons of his career.

That earlier contract also shaped what Boston could offer now. Because his current salary is relatively low, Pritchard’s extension is capped by a figure based on 140% of the estimated average player salary, rather than the usual provision allowing a 40% raise on the final year of a player’s existing deal. He could have extended for around $67 million over three years, but took a shorter two-year arrangement with a mutual option.

Why Boston may benefit

A valuation tool built by Stephen Noh of Sporting News, using the DPM metric, projects Pritchard to be worth around $28 million next year and going forward. His new extension averages $22 million per year.

There are also signs he could handle a greater share of Boston’s offence. Yahoo’s Tom Haberstroh noted that Pritchard’s usage rate rose by nearly nine percentage points when he played without Brown a year ago, while his true shooting improved by four percentage points in those minutes.

Last season, the Celtics went 32-5 in games where Pritchard’s usage reached at least 22%. The figures help explain why Boston could see further value in his deal.

What happens next

Pritchard has a chance to become a full-time starter this season, though that is not yet certain. The Celtics will be able to assess how he performs with opportunities he has not previously had.

The mutual option gives both sides a route to revisit the contract in the 2029 offseason. Any decision to opt out would require agreement from both parties; otherwise, Boston can keep Pritchard on the deal for the 2029-30 season.