Payton Pritchard’s next contract has to be a Celtics priority.
He becomes eligible on October 1 for an extension that would be worth about three years and $67 million, and Boston can’t afford to let that number drift out of reach. If the Celtics wait too long, his value is only going to climb, and he could wind up pricing himself beyond what they can comfortably handle.
That urgency feels even sharper because Pritchard is positioned for the biggest role of his career. He could be back in a full-time starting spot for the second time, though that arrangement was always expected to be temporary until Jayson Tatum returned and Anfernee Simons was traded. If not, he’ll still be the kind of sixth man Boston has leaned on in recent seasons.
Either way, the Celtics need him.
Boston has already taken care of Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr., and Pritchard should be next when the time comes. With the Jaylen Brown trade reshaping the roster, locking him in feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
The Celtics still have championship aspirations, and that means everyone has to be ready to shoulder more. Tatum is now clearly the No. 1 option, Paul George and Derrick White will carry major responsibility, and White remains important even after an inefficient campaign last season. But Pritchard may be the most interesting piece of the puzzle.
Boston lost a major source of shot creation with Brown gone, and Pritchard is the best internal answer to help replace it. The 28-year-old can get a bucket from anywhere, and when he’s rolling, he’s hard to stop. He can create one-on-one, attack from different spots on the floor, and handle pressure when the offense needs a lift.
He just delivered the best season of his NBA career, averaging 17 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting 46.4/37.7/89% in 79 games. More than that, he’s improved every year, not just because his role has expanded, but because he looks more comfortable and more complete each season. He has also already shown he can deliver when the moment gets bigger.
For Boston, the message is simple: keep Pritchard in the fold. Before the season begins, the Celtics need to make sure he’s part of their long-term picture as they move into this new era.
In Other News...
Celtics Have A Low-Risk Point Guard Option Worth Watching
Ryan Nembhard has popped onto the Celtics radar as a possible low-risk point guard addition, the kind of move that often surfaces around this part of the roster cycle. The 23-year-old was recently traded to the Charlotte Hornets and is expected to be waived, which could open the door for Boston to take a closer look at a player who already has some NBA experience and a track record as a distributor.
Nembhard spent time with the Dallas Mavericks on a two-way contract and made enough of an impression to set a rookie assist record, a useful calling card for a team that could use added depth at point guard behind its main group. Boston already has several players tied up on two-way deals, so any decision here would have to fit the teams flexibility and its appetite for another developmental guard worth monitoring. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Put On Blast As Celtics Loyalty Debate Heats Up
The Celtics long-running image as a tight-knit core has taken a small but messy hit in the court of opinion, with DeMarcus Cousins taking aim at Jayson Tatum on a podcast over what he sees as a lapse in loyalty toward Jaylen Brown. Cousins criticism centered on the idea that Tatum did not contact Brown after Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, a move that naturally marked a difficult stretch in Browns career and put their relationship under the microscope.
Tatum has publicly spoken highly of Brown, but Cousins suggested those comments came off more like polished public relations than a reflection of real support. For Boston, the debate lands in familiar territory: the franchise has spent years selling the strength of its stars' bond, and any hint of distance between the faces of the team tends to draw outsized attention, especially when it comes from a former NBA veteran willing to say the quiet part out loud. [Read more 🡒]
Anfernee Simons Just Sent Celtics Fans A Familiar Message
Anfernee Simons is settling into a role that Boston fans know well, and Philadelphia seems ready to make use of it. After signing with the 76ers in free agency, he is expected to be their first guard off the bench, a spot he has already navigated before. On a recent podcast appearance, Simons spoke openly about keeping a positive mindset in that kind of assignment, drawing on his years as a starter with the Portland Trail Blazers and his more recent time coming off the bench with the Celtics.
For Boston, it is another reminder of how quickly a player can move through different expectations without changing his approach. Simons has shown he can handle both sides of the role, whether he is opening games or supplying scoring and energy to a second unit, and Philadelphia is banking on that versatility this season. The only real question now is how smoothly that mindset translates to his new team, where the bench plan is already taking shape. [Read more 🡒]