The Boston Celtics have locked down Payton Pritchard for at least another year! Pritchard became extension-eligible earlier this month, so many had wondered if and when they would have locked down, and Boston got it done! Pritchard got his pay raise, and the Celtics got someone who has consistently gotten better almost every year.
This is actually a smarter deal than what meets the eye. Yes, Boston is better with Pritchard on the team than it is with him off it, but also, Pritchard put up All-Star numbers when the Celtics counted on him in games in which Jaylen Brown missed last season. If he proves that kind of production was no fluke, Brad Stevens is going to look quite smart for getting him on that deal.
He already looked brilliant enough to get him on that team-friendly deal back in 2023, as Pritchard has since won Sixth Man of the Year and evolved into becoming a starter when the Celtics have asked him to. But if Pritchard has another gear in his game that blossoms this season, getting him on that extension is going to look quite smart.
Especially knowing that he could have walked
Pritchard could have looked at the fact that Boston clearly believes he can step up with Brown gone and used it to his advantage. He could have easily played out the contract, proven that they were right about his abilities, and then held out for a bigger deal. Yes, he got maxed, but he could have easily bet on himself.
People have been comparing his potential ascension to Jalen Brunson's when he left Dallas for New York. That's definitely setting the bar a little too high, but Brunson proved immediately that the Mavericks were wrong to let him walk, and Pritchard could have easily followed in those footsteps if he wanted to.
Luckily, Stevens and Co. locked that down. Now, in all fairness, Pritchard can ask for more down the line, and his mutual option works in both his and the Celtics' favor. Plus, it's very possible that he trusts Joe Mazzulla's system to bring the most out of him. The fact that Jayson Tatum has a clean bill of health along with a bigger role could result in Pritchard's best season.
With all that said, this situation could have been a disaster if Pritchard opted to roll the dice instead of extending. Because he'll be on the team for at least the next three years, Boston can sleep well knowing they should get Pritchard at full throttle this coming season.
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