Before the 2023-2024 NBA season begins, former Oregon Ducks standout Payton Pritchard secures the bag after signing a nice contract extension with the Boston Celtics.
Payton Pritchard signs a 4-year/$30 million contract extension with the Celtics
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke out the news that the Celtics and Pritchard agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year/$30 million extension. Before the extension, Pritchard was in talks as part of a possible trade package in the offseason. Well, those days are long gone now as Boston and Pritchard have agreed to a long-term deal.
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has agreed on a four-year, $30 million contract extension, agents Austin Brown, Max Saidman and Mitch Nathan of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN. Deal is fully guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/sD9LgpmHZx
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 8, 2023
Did the Boston Celtics make the right move by paying Payton Pritchard $30 Million? Is he worth it?
The Celtics had just signed Jaylen Brown to a $300 million supermax extension right after the 2023 playoffs. Sooner or later, they’re also going to have to give Jayson Tatum that hefty deal. In the offseason, the C’s made great moves by trading for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Although they parted ways with the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, the 2023-2024 Celtics roster seems to have improved quite a bit.
Then, the organization’s most recent move is by paying the 6-foot-1 Payton Pritchard with a $30-million extension. In comparison, Boston will be paying Pritchard $7.5 million a year, the same amount that the Warriors are giving Kevon Looney, and more than what Miami Heat’s Caleb Martin ($6.8 million) or Denver Nuggets’ Reggie Jackson ($5 million) are getting next season.
People might ask if the Celtics made the right decision to give Payton Pritchard such a huge amount of money despite only averaging 5.6 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in the 2022-2023 season. Here are some reasons why we think Payton Pritchard deserves that extension:
- Pritchard is a combo guard who can score via catch-and-shoot situations and is also an excellent on-ball defender.
- The 25-year-old was drafted 26th overall in 2020, which basically makes him a hidden gem. The current Boston Celtics roster is stacked but with Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon now traded, Pritchard can shine as a back-up PG for Jrue Holiday.
- Payton Pritchard is a reliable three-point shooter. Throughout his NBA career, the Oregon native shot 40% from behind the arc.
- Indeed his production now isn’t as good as a rookie due to his minutes going down every year, but after signing this extension, this is a great indicator that he’ll be contributing more next season.
- A $30 Million rookie extension doesn’t sound that bad for a 5 PPG guy. If any, it feels more like a fail-safe plan and won’t hurt that much in the future.
Payton Pritchard puts up 26 points in the Pre-Season opener against the Sixers
A day after the news broke out that Payton Pritchard got the bag, he immediately made a point in the pre-season opener against the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers. This is the same team they knocked out in the 2023 playoffs, and they’re looking at doing it again next year. Pritchard posted an amazing 26-point game (16 of those came in the 4th quarter). He also did it while shooting an efficient 6-for-11 (55%) from the three-point line. In just 23 minutes, he proved why he deserves that money.
“When I signed it, it was almost like a relief, a feeling of being secure,” Pritchard said after the game. “That was kind of my mindset toward it. I wanted to lock something in.”
Hopefully, he will continue this kind of production in the regular season and in the playoffs. With his help, the Boston Celtics could finally win their 18th championship, one that the Garden has been longing to have for many years now.
Payton Prichard from behind the arc 🔥
16 4th quarter points for the Celtics guard 👀#NBAPreseason pic.twitter.com/dEi8u73T4L
— NBA (@NBA) October 9, 2023
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