$44.2 Million Over Two Years Extends Payton Pritchard in Boston

Photo: NBA.com. Official Payton Pritchard headshot, Boston Celtics.

Payton Pritchard has agreed to a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics, plus a mutual option on the 2029-30 season, CAA's Austin Brown and agent Max Saidman told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday afternoon. That is $22.1 million a year for a guard making $7.8 million this season, and Boston got it done six days before the Oct. 19 extension deadline.

Pritchard became eligible on Oct. 1 for as much as three years and about $69 million, per NESN and CLNS Media. Three years at $69 million averages $23 million. Pritchard's side landed $22.1 million a year, within about $900,000 of the max annual number, and handed back the third season.

The current deal

Pritchard is still under contract through 2027-28 on the four-year, $30 million extension he signed in 2023: $7,767,857 this season and $8,303,571 in 2027-28, per NESN. The new money sits on top of those two seasons, and the 2029-30 mutual option needs both sides to say yes.

What waiting could have paid

NESN and CLNS Media's Bobby Manning both reported that Pritchard could sign four years and about $100 million starting July 2, 2027. Manning added that Steph Noh's salary model valued his 2025-26 production around $28 million.

Pritchard is about to have his first child, keeps a home on Cape Cod, and expressed happiness with Boston in a conversation with CLNS Media last month, per Manning.

What Boston is paying for

The role changed this summer. Boston traded Jaylen Brown in the deal for Paul George, and CLNS Media reported Pritchard is expected to play a significant role in replacing that scoring alongside George and Derrick White. CLNS Media also noted he emerged as Boston's second-leading scorer last season before Jayson Tatum's return.

Pritchard won Sixth Man of the Year in 2024-25, then put up career highs of 17.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 2025-26, starting 50 of his 79 games, per NESN. Mike Conley called him "a menace" in training camp, per CLNS Media, and said he keeps asking teammates how they break down coverages.

Brad Stevens has been extending his own players, with Neemias Queta, Ron Harper Jr. and Jordan Walsh signed this summer, per CLNS Media. In July, Stevens said the way George's contract times up gives Boston room to add to the roster and to keep its own players. The Celtics open the regular season Oct. 20.

Sources:

• Shams Charania / ESPN on X: Payton Pritchard agrees to two-year, $44.2 million extension plus 2029-30 mutual option. Oct 13, 2026.
• NESN: Payton Pritchard Running Out of Time to Sign Extension With Celtics. Scott Rafferty (pre-deal eligibility, salary and 2025-26 stats).
• NESN: Payton Pritchard, Celtics Will Soon Have $67 Million Decision to Make. Scott Rafferty (pre-deal contract background, age).
• CLNS Media: Payton Pritchard and Celtics Without Extension for Now. Bobby Manning. Oct 6, 2026 (pre-deal context: 2027 extension path, Noh model, Brown-George trade role, Stevens and Conley quotes).
• Photo: NBA.com. Official Payton Pritchard headshot, Boston Celtics.