Payton Pritchard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Sign Payton Pritchard To Four-Year Extension

October 10th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 10: Pritchard’s contract extension is now official, the Celtics have announced in a press release.

“In addition to his great skill, Payton brings toughness, resiliency, and diligence that collectively elevate the room,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “We are excited that he chose to extend with the Celtics and look forward to what’s ahead.”

OCTOBER 8: The Celtics and guard Payton Pritchard are in agreement on a four-year rookie scale extension worth $30MM, his agents at CAA Basketball tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal will be fully guaranteed, Wojnarowski adds.

The 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Pritchard had a promising rookie season, averaging 7.7 points per game with a .440/.411/.889 shooting line in 66 contests (19.2 MPG). He had his role cut back in his second and third seasons though — in 2022/23, he played just 13.4 minutes per night, averaging 5.6 PPG on .412/.364/.750 shooting.

Due to his declining role, Pritchard admitted back in February that he had hoped to be traded at the deadline to a team that intended to use him more. However, following the offseason trades of Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon, the 25-year-old is expected to have an expanded role in a new-look Boston backcourt behind Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Pritchard is apparently confident enough in his new role to sign a long-term deal with the Celtics well in advance of the October 23 deadline for rookie scale extensions. The former Oregon guard has only earned only approximately $6.4MM in his first three NBA seasons and will make $4.04MM in 2023/24, so it certainly makes sense that he’d want to lock in a contract that guarantees him $30MM, exponentially increasing his career earnings.

While Pritchard’s numbers to date have been modest, the Celtics are taking a calculated risk that he’ll increase his value in 2023/24 as he comes off a stint with the USA Select Team and receives a minutes bump. By deciding to extend him in advance of a possible breakout year, Boston now won’t have to worry about warding off potential suitors for Pritchard in restricted free agency next summer.

Pritchard’s new deal will further increase a Celtics payroll that appears likely to go well beyond the luxury tax line again in 2024/25, with big-money cap hits for Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, White, and Al Horford already on the books. The club also reportedly has interest in negotiating an extension with Holiday, who holds a $39.4MM player option for ’24/25.

As our extension tracker shows, Pritchard is the seventh player to agree to a rookie scale extension in 2023, joining LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, Devin Vassell, and Isaiah Stewart. A total of 20 more players are still eligible to sign a rookie scale extension by Oct. 23.

Atlantic Notes: Pritchard, Simmons, Dinwiddie, Bridges, Kornet

October 8th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The extension agreement between the Celtics and backup guard Payton Pritchard is a win-win for both parties, Jared Weiss of The Athletic opines. He agreed to a four-year rookie scale extension worth approximately $30MM.

It would have been difficult for suitors to give Pritchard a reasonable offer sheet as a restricted free agent next summer. Meanwhile, the Celtics aren’t in a position to make another trade to push down the depth chart as it did last season with Malcolm Brogdon, Weiss notes. Plus, Pritchard remains a valuable trade chip if Boston seeks more wing or center depth.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

With a healthy Ben Simmons joining Spencer Dinwiddie in the backcourt, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn believes he can find ways to get the best out of that duo, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “I’m trying to think how can we use this as an advantage for us? Spencer can handle the basketball, he can shoot off the basketball. There’s history to that,” Vaughn said. “And there’s history to Ben creating shots for guys, because he plays with the pace. Really like not too many people can match that pace. And so can we use that to advantage to get easy baskets? When you’re scouting us, who’s going to bring it up? It’s not gonna be the same person every single time.”
Mikal Bridges has become the leader of the Nets and he’s thrilled with having that responsibility, Lewis writes in a separate story. “It’s a new role. Personally I think I can fulfill it and succeed in it with who I am as a person,” he said. “I’m willing to take every bullet, take the blame for losing: I’m ready for all that. Personally, I think I’m ready, but we’ll see. Who wouldn’t want this? Who wouldn’t want this type of pressure, this type of expectations? If you really love the game and really want to be the best you can be, you’d want this …where you’re the main guy and everything’s on your shoulders.”
Luke Kornet has the inside track on the backup center role for the Celtics, Weiss tweets. “It starts with Luke. I thought Luke really did a great job last year,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I think he’s an underrated player and I don’t think people realize how effective he is. He’s a guy that’s always in the right spot defensively (and) makes the right play.”

Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Kornet, Holiday, Luxury Tax

October 2nd, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have started extension talks with Payton Pritchard, sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Although Pritchard’s representatives are talking to the front office about a long-term deal, there’s still “a gap to close” before an agreement can be finalized, Weiss adds.

The 25-year-old guard figures to have a much larger role in a revamped Boston backcourt after offseason trades that sent out Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon and brought in Jrue Holiday. Playing time has been an issue for Pritchard, who expressed a desire to be traded in February because he wasn’t seeing consistent minutes.

That shouldn’t be a problem anymore, as Pritchard’s smooth shooting stroke makes him a welcome backcourt partner for Holiday or Derrick White. Pritchard has connected at 40% from three-point range during his three seasons in Boston.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Coach Joe Mazzulla was preparing to utilize more double-big lineups after Boston traded for Kristaps Porzingis, but those plans have changed with Robert Williams being sent to Portland in the Holiday deal, notes Jay King of The Athletic. Luke Kornet should have a larger role with Williams gone and may see time next to Porzingis, but Mazzulla will likely rely on smaller lineups with the current roster. The Celtics are bringing in Wenyen Gabriel and could look to add more frontcourt help, with King noting that Bismack Biyombo, Dewayne Dedmon and Gorgui Dieng are all free agents, along with Blake Griffin, whom president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the team would like to bring back if he doesn’t retire.
The Celtics had to consider Holiday’s next contract when deciding to acquire him, per Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. The 33-year-old guard will become eligible for an extension on February 22, but he’ll only be able to add two more years to his current deal, if he declines his $39.4MM option for 2024/25. If he waits until six months after the trade date, he can add four years and will have the choice of extending at a lower starting salary than his player option under changes made in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Gozlan points out that Holiday can also pick up the option and extend on a “team-friendly” deal similar to what Porzingis did.
Boston’s team salary will reach $222.6MM once the team signs a 14th player, increasing its tax penalty by $14.4MM for this season, Gozlan adds. With Jaylen Brown‘s super-max deal taking effect next year, team payroll is set to rise into the $260MM range. That figure could increase to $350MM to $400MM in 2025/26, Gozlan notes, when Jayson Tatum‘s expected super-max takes effect, if the club extends Holiday and White.
The Celtics have options to improve their roster even after sending two first-round picks to Portland to acquire Holiday, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston still has first-rounders to trade in 2024, 2026 and 2031, along with eight second-round picks through 2030. The team also has a $6.2MM TPE from the Grant Williams trade.

Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Brogdon, Roster Spot, Tatum

September 16th, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Payton Pritchard didn’t get the trade he wanted last winter and now he may have a regular role in the Celtics‘ rotation, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Frustrated by inconsistent playing time, Pritchard was open about his desire to be sent to another team before the February deadline.

This summer’s Kristaps Porzingis trade, which sent Marcus Smart to Memphis, created an opening in the backcourt that Pritchard hopes to fill. He’s not taking anything for granted as he enters his fourth NBA season, but he views the deal as a sign that the front office has confidence in him.

“If I get the opportunity to play, I’ve got to show what I’m capable of and that I can help win at a high level,” Pritchard said. “So I’m just looking forward to the opportunity of showcasing that. At the end of the day, I’m a winner and am obviously going to help Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum) because those are the two that are pushing us, but we’ve all got to help them get over the hump and ultimately win a championship.”

Coach Joe Mazzulla has said Derrick White will replace Smart as the starting point guard, Himmelsbach adds, and Malcolm Brogdon is expected to remain the first guard off the bench. Pritchard’s role isn’t as well defined heading into training camp, but he hopes to show Mazzulla that he can deliver when called upon.

“I think it looks different every night,” Pritchard said. “Obviously, I have the ability to shoot and space the floor, but also this year being able to take pressure off, and if I have to handle and bring it up and showcase more of the passing side of things, I can do that. But I’ve talked to Joe, and it’s going to be a lot of different things.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Brogdon still has hard feelings about nearly being included in the Porzingis deal, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe said on the “Celtics Beat” podcast (hat tip to Gio Rivera of NESN). Brogdon was offered to the Clippers in the original version of the three-team trade, but L.A. declined because there wasn’t time to fully examine his medical records before the deadline for Porzingis to pick up his option for next season. “I think he understands, but (it) doesn’t mean he’s not upset about it,” Washburn said. “So I was told he was not happy with how things went down. Now, does that increase his level of mistrust in the Celtics organization?”
The Celtics may wait to fill their open roster spot until other teams make their final cuts, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb believes the team’s most pressing need is to find another big man.
Souichi Terada of MassLive examines Tatum’s MVP chances, concluding that his best opportunity is for Boston to emerge as clearly the best team in the East.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Knicks, Pritchard, Porzingis, Giles

September 7th, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Teams are getting closer to training camp, which means lingering questions facing NBA clubs will be answered sooner than later. The Knicks, like every team, have several issues to sort out either before training camp or shortly before the season begins writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post in a mailbag.

The biggest question the Knicks must answer is whether or not Immanuel Quickley will get a rookie scale extension before the regular season tips off. In his own mailbag, SNY’s Ian Begley writes that New York and Quickley are expected to negotiate a contract sometime this month. However, if the Knicks decide to make him available via trade, they’ll have plenty of suitors, per Begley.

Begley hears that the Knicks had several trade talks with teams surrounding Quickley at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, prior to his breakout that saw him finish as the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up. However, Begley ultimately expects Quickley to extend with New York, and believes the team will begin extending other core players – Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Quentin Grimes – down the road.

Braziller concurs with Begley, and sees the two sides agreeing to a deal that winds up in the four-year, $90-95MM range. Other topics included in Braziller’s mailbag include the future of Evan Fournier and what a matchup between Team USA and Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup would look like, with Brunson and Josh Hart potentially squaring off against RJ Barrett.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has never averaged more than 19.2 minutes per game in his first three seasons in the league, with his playing time declining in each subsequent season. Jared Weiss of The Athletic explores what Pritchard’s role may look like in 2023/24, which will be instrumental in determining his future with the organization. Pritchard, who wished to be moved at last year’s deadline, could be in line for more minutes with Marcus Smart‘s departure, but will need to improve. Weiss does a full video breakdown of the guard’s game to determine how he can take the next jump.
Battling plantar fasciitis, Kristaps Porzingis was forced to be a spectator as Latvia made the final eight of the World Cup and fell to Germany in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes that Porzingis choosing to preserve his body in such a crucial moment for his national team is a key indicator that he’s all in on the Celtics this year. Porzingis, whom Boston traded Smart for, is expected to be ready to go by the time the NBA’s training camps begin.
While Harry Giles has an uphill climb to make Brooklyn’s roster out of training camp, the Nets have one of the more interesting roster battles on deck, Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily writes. Giles, Trendon Watford and Darius Bazley appear to be in direct competition for two roster spots on the Nets. Giles, who hasn’t appeared in a game since 2020/21, only has 142 games of NBA experience and is just 25 years old, indicating he may have plenty left in the tank.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Wing Options, Pritchard, Frontcourt

August 27th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown‘s first game since signing a record contract with the Celtics came in an unlikely setting — the Big3 All-Star contest, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic. Brown, who became the first active NBA player to participate in a Big3 game, agreed to play because the event, which was held in England, helps to support the London Youth charity.

The decision is also part of Brown’s effort to promote Black-owned businesses, Jones adds. League co-founder Ice Cube told a CBS interviewer that he was “blown away” to have an NBA All-Star on hand.

“I asked him if he was sure he wanted to make this move,” Cube said. “And he was like ‘I want to do this for the game, for the players and it’s a big move for the league’ … This guy is my hero right now.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Of the four wings the team is working out this month, Lamar Stevens and T.J. Warren are probably looking for guaranteed money, while Louis King and Glenn Robinson III are more likely to agree to non-guaranteed camp deals, Brian Robb of Mass Live states in a mailbag column. Robb is skeptical about Warren because the Suns opted to let him leave in free agency rather than try to keep him on a minimum-salary deal. He sees Stevens as the best option because he would bring a defensive presence at the wing that rookie Jordan Walsh may not be ready to provide.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens may have erred last year by trading for Malcolm Brogdon when the team had more pressing needs in its frontcourt, Robb adds. Payton Pritchard appeared ready for rotation minutes, but he was frequently kept on the bench because of the logjam in the backcourt. That should be less of a concern this season with Marcus Smart sent to Memphis in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, but Robb still doesn’t foresee Pritchard playing more than 25 minutes per game unless Brogdon gets injured. Pritchard is eligible for an extension until the start of the season, so the Celtics will have to figure out how he fits into their future.
Robb also believes Boston should focus on finding another big man before camp rather than relying on Luke Kornet or bringing back Blake Griffin. Oshae Brissett could fill some minutes in the frontcourt, but Robb sees a need for more depth considering the age and injury history of Porzingis, Robert Williams and Al Horford.

Reid, Murphy, Grimes, Pritchard Joining USA Select Team

July 21st, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy, Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, and Celtics guard Payton Pritchard are among the young players joining the USA Select Team in a couple weeks to practice and scrimmage against the main Team USA roster ahead of the FIBA World Cup.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojanrowski reported that Pritchard, Murphy and Reid would attend the American team’s training camp (Twitter links), while Shams Charania of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) Grimes would be present.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the Thunder, Rockets guard Jalen Green, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, and Kings forward Keegan Murray will also be part of the Select Team, as The Athletic reported on Thursday.

Reid, who signed a three-year, $42MM extension at the end of June to remain with Minnesota, averaged career bests of 11.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG last season. Murphy had a breakout second season in 2022/23, averaging 14.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 1.1 SPG on a stellar .484/.406/.905 shooting line.

Grimes started the majority of ’22/23 for New York, averaging 11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.1 APG on .468/.386/.796 shooting while playing solid defense. Pritchard had the most modest role of the four new players reportedly joining the Select Team, averaging 5.6 PPG on .412/.364/.750 shooting in 13.4 MPG last season.

It’s possible a player or two on the Select Team could be used as an injury replacement for someone on Team USA’s 12-man roster. For example, Keldon Johnson, who was a Select Team member ahead of the Tokyo Olympics a couple years ago, replaced Bradley Beal when the star guard contracted COVID-19.

The Americans will start training camp for the World Cup on August 3 in Las Vegas, with their first game scheduled later that month in the Philippines.

Celtics Rumors: Pritchard, Draft, G. Williams, Beal, Jefferson

June 21st, 2023 at 6:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics have been weighing the possibility of trading Payton Pritchard to try to move into the first round of the 2023 NBA draft, reports Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Boston doesn’t currently control a first-round pick.

A couple of possible targets could be Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper and UCLA wing Jaime Jaquez, according to Deveney.

“Great organization, great history. I had a really good time there,” Prosper said of his workout with the Celtics.

However, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports suggests (via Twitter) that a potential package deal involving Pritchard and the No. 35 pick might be shelved if the team is able to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from Washington, with Malcolm Brogdon possibly heading to the Clippers and Danilo Gallinari being sent to the Wizards. Losing Brogdon would obviously affect Boston’s backcourt depth and would seemingly open up playing time for Pritchard.

Here are a few more rumors and notes on the Celtics:

Multiple league sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that if the Celtics do land Porzingis, there’s a good chance Grant Williams may be headed to a new team (Twitter link). As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets, adding Porzingis’ $36MM contract for 2023/24 would push the club close to the second tax apron, and releasing Williams’ cap hold (along with several others) would give Boston access to the taxpayer mid-level exception. Re-signing Williams would push the Celtics past the second apron.
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explains why the Celtics weren’t in on the Bradley Beal sweepstakes despite the three-time All-Star’s close ties to Jayson Tatum. Aside from his massive contract and full no-trade clause, which have to be highlighted when talking about a taxpayer like Boston, the Celtics are focused on rebalancing the roster by adding size at other positions rather than acquiring another guard, Forsberg writes.
Former NBA big man Amile Jefferson, who was an assistant coach with Duke in ’22/23, is finalizing a multiyear contract to join the Celtics as an assistant, a source tells Travis Branham of 247Sports.com. Jefferson played 30 games with the Magic from 2018-20.

Celtics Rumors: Guards, Pritchard, G. Williams, Brown, More

June 19th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are reportedly exploring the possibility of trading a guard from a group that includes Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard. While there has been speculation that the team will look to move one of its higher-priced backcourt pieces, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe hears from a source that financial factors “won’t guide” Boston’s roster decisions.

That means that Pritchard, who has by far the smallest 2023/24 cap hit of any of those four guards, could be the player on the move, though that’s not a lock either. Himmelsbach’s source says there’s no tension between Pritchard and the franchise despite his stated preference to be traded this past season.

Pritchard simply wants to play a larger role, so if the Celtics could offer him that opportunity, it sounds like he’d be happy to remain in Boston. According to Himmelsbach, the team is still high on the former first-round pick.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

The Celtics have received calls from teams about possible sign-and-trade scenarios involving Grant Williams, but the likeliest scenario is that he’ll re-sign and remain in Boston, Himmelsbach’s source says.
All signs continue to point to Jaylen Brown receiving and signing a super-max extension this summer, with no indication that the Celtics are thinking about trading him, per Himmelsbach.
Phil Pressey, a former NBA guard who played with the Celtics from 2013-15, is joining the team’s coaching staff, according to Himmelsbach, who hears the club will likely add at least one more behind-the-bench coach in the not-too-distant future.
Celtics draft-and-stash players Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin aren’t expected to play for the team at the Las Vegas Summer League in July, a source tells Himmelsbach. It’s unclear if either one could still emerge as part of the team’s plans for 2023/24.
Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com spoke to rival executives and coaches about what the Celtics should – and shouldn’t – do with their roster this offseason.

Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, I. Stewart, C. Johnson, Harden, More

June 16th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are exploring ways to improve their roster, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who suggests that a sign-and-trade of forward Grant Williams or a trade involving one or more of the team’s guards are among the options in play. Brian Robb of MassLive.com published a similar report, suggesting that a source told him Boston has been one of the most active teams on the trade market.

According to Robb, the Celtics are looking into whether they’ll be able to move a player from their crowded backcourt in order to balance their roster and upgrade at another position. Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard are all under contract for next season.

While Pritchard is the most logical trade candidate, given that he sought a change of scenery during the 2022/23 season and wasn’t part of the Celtics’ playoff rotation, it might make more sense for Boston to move one of its higher-paid guards, Robb writes. That would allow the Celtics to bring back a bigger salary in a trade or would help create flexibility to re-sign Williams.

Interestingly, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says (via Twitter) that the Celtics are among the teams to inquire about Isaiah Stewart. However, Edwards doesn’t expect the Pistons to move Stewart, who will be extension-eligible this offseason.

Here are a few more rumors from around the Atlantic, including another one that involves the Pistons:

Following the Pistons‘ hiring of Monty Williams, Nets restricted free agent forward Cameron Johnson – who played for Williams in Phoenix – is rising on Detroit’s list of free agent targets, according to Marc Stein at Substack. But Brooklyn is “quietly expressing confidence” about its ability to retain Johnson, says Stein, which suggests the team either knows what it will take to re-sign him or fully intends to match any offer he receives as a restricted free agent.
If the Nets commit to a lucrative new deal for Johnson, will they have to cut costs elsewhere? Stein notes that forward Dorian Finney-Smith is still viewed as a “prime trade candidate,” while Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer hears from sources that Brooklyn has received calls about both Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports shares a few Sixers-related tidbits in his latest round-up of rumors from around the NBA, writing that the team appears to prefer another short-term deal with free-agent-to-be James Harden and citing sources who say Philadelphia is “actively seeking” opportunities to trade into the second round of next week’s draft. The 76ers don’t currently own a 2023 draft pick.