Overview
- The Celtics officially signed Payton Pritchard to a two-year, $44.2 million extension with a mutual option, a deal reported over the weekend and announced by the team.
- Reporting differs on when the new money begins, though prior coverage notes the extension is structured to start in the 2028–29 season so it will not affect Boston’s 2026–27 salary or luxury-tax picture.
- Pritchard said he does not care whether he starts or comes off the bench and that what matters is playing meaningful minutes and impacting the game.
- Coach Joe Mazzulla praised Pritchard’s attitude and versatility and has given him heavy preseason minutes, with Pritchard averaging strong scoring and assist lines in early tune-up games.
- Pritchard’s rise followed a trade request in 2023, a 2024 championship, and the 2025 Sixth Man award, and the extension locks in a guard who could help replace production lost after Jaylen Brown’s offseason exit.