The sheer amount of trade speculation surrounding the Boston Celtics in the week following their first-round playoff exit has captured headlines and the fanbase’s attention. Deservedly so. It sure feels like we could all be in store for some big changes, but we’ll just have to wait and see what those will be.
Overlooked in all of the buzz is the potential for a Payton Pritchard contract extension. The 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year will become eligible to sign a three-year, $67.1 million extension once Oct. 1 rolls around.
Said extension would kick in during the 2028-29 season and would run through 2031.
Extending Pritchard should be an easy decision
Frankly, this should be a no-brainer for the Celtics. Pritchard has been awesome for them over the last three seasons, ever since he started to see consistent opportunity. This year, he started in 50 games before returning to the bench post trade deadline.
With the added playing time and expanded role, Pritchard averaged career-highs in points (17), assists (5.2), and rebounds (3.9) per game and proved to be a legitimate scoring threat in isolation scenarios. Over halfway through the season, the 28-year-old led all scorers, including the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, in points per possession in isolation scenarios.
His signature paint fadeaway has become a lethal shot.
Pritchard’s under-control playstyle also makes him a stabilizing presence for the Cs. He rarely turns the ball over and consistently makes good decisions with it in his hands. It also feels like he comes back each fall having significantly improved his game.
Not to mention he’s done all of these things while on one of the league’s most-valuable contracts. Three years ago, Brad Stevens locked Pritchard down on a four-year, $30 million rookie extension. The Celtics guard is set to earn $7.7 million next season and $8.3 the following year.
The hypothetical extension, while more lucrative for Pritchard, wouldn’t be an outrageous figure for the Cs to pay. It comes to about $22.3 million per season and would end when he’s 33 years old.
That wage would probably perfect value for an important cog in Boston’s basketball machine.
Pritchard's age raises minimal concerns, but shouldn't dissuade the Celtics from extending him
Age is the only concerning factor.
As a smaller, quick guard, Pritchard may lose some of his burst as he gets into his 30s. How effective he can be without it is a serious question. Pritchard’s physical attributes also enable him to hold his own against larger players on defense.
His shooting ability, however, would indicate that he should be able to age gracefully in the NBA.
Even so, he should have plenty left in the tank at 33, and likely wouldn’t become dead weight in Boston’s salary cap. It’s more important than ever to spend every dollar wisely with the way the new collective bargaining agreement punishes teams that overspend.
Plus, if the Celtics were to wait to sign Pritchard, he could command more money or years on said contract.
Knocking a deal out this offseason should be a top priority for Boston.
Add us as a preferred source on Google