A Payton Pritchard extension may have looked like the Celtics’ next easy win, but Monday brought a little more uncertainty to the picture.
Brad Stevens has made a habit of getting ahead of these decisions, especially with players Boston developed itself. He’s already handled three extensions this offseason with Ron Harper Jr., Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh, and Pritchard seemed like the obvious next name on the list.
The timing lines up, too. Pritchard still has two years left on the four-year, $30 million rookie-scale extension he signed in 2023, but starting in October he becomes eligible for three more years at 140% of his current salary. That means Boston’s ceiling this fall is three years and roughly $67 million, with the new money beginning in the 2028-29 season.
For a while, that felt like the natural next step. But Pritchard himself didn’t sound like someone pushing hard for a deal when he spoke with NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg on Monday.
“I don’t really think about it… It’s not something I’m really looking at. I have two years on my contract.
There’s no rush on it. We’ll talk obviously, but we have a whole next year to talk about an extension.
For me, it’s focusing on getting better and becoming the best basketball player I can possibly be.”
Maybe that’s just Pritchard keeping things close to the vest. Still, it doesn’t read like a player eager to get something done right away.
And from his side, waiting makes sense. His last deal wound up looking like a real bargain, and at 28, with two more seasons left at under $10 million, he has plenty of reason to see if the next year or two boosts his value even more. If his role grows the way it could, and if his usage and production climb with it, the number attached to his next contract could rise with it.
That’s the bet-on-yourself path, and it’s an understandable one for a player who may only have one major payday left.
At the same time, there’s a strong argument for Pritchard to lock in a huge number now. A deal worth more than $60 million would push his career earnings close to $100 million, which is no small thing.
He can keep improving, sure, but by the time this contract runs out, he’ll be 30. A 6’1” guard at that age may not find a better offer than what Boston can put on the table now.
So there’s real logic on both sides. The Celtics could try to push for a number below the full 140% maximum, and Pritchard may prefer to wait and see how the next season unfolds before revisiting the conversation next summer.
An October agreement is still on the table. It just doesn’t feel as automatic as it did before Monday.
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