Brad Stevens, President of Basketball Operations, has painstakingly completed a huge roster revamp, the most recent addition being All-Star player Jrue Holiday. Boston’s roster is nearly full, albeit there are a couple of unfilled roster spots and a notable void to fill in the frontcourt following Rob Williams’ departure.
Outside of a potential big man addition, what you see is what you get with the 2023-24 Celtics, at least for the moment. Training camp is underway, with the first preseason game this Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite having limited roster moves left to make, there are still some crucial decisions for Stevens to consider over the coming weeks that don’t necessarily affect this season. Two key members of the team’s backcourt rotation are extension eligible, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
Here’s all you need to know about those potential agreements, as well as my thoughts on their viability.
Derrick White
Extension Deadline: October 23
Current Contract: 2 years remaining (2025 Unrestricted Free Agent) — 2023-24: $17.6 million; 2024-25: $18.8 million
White became eligible for an extension in September and last month, a deal seemed logical for both sides. Marcus Smart had been dealt and White was slated to move into Boston’s starting point guard role coming off one of the most successful seasons of his career.
Payton Pritchard
Extension Deadline: October 23
Current Contract: 1 year remaining (2024 Restricted Free Agent) — 2023-24: $4.04 million
The Celtics picked up Pritchard’s $4.04 million option for the upcoming year, setting him up to enter restricted free agency in the following offseason. That creates a bit more urgency for Boston to lock the young guard up than there may be with White, as the team knows all too well how tough it can be to retain restricted free agents (see Grant Williams).
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss recently reported that the Celtics have actually opened contract negotiations with Pritchard, although a sizable gap remains. That makes sense, as Pritchard’s limited minutes over the years have likely led Stevens to offer a contract lower than the guard thinks he’s worth.
With the deadline for these contracts coming up in less than three weeks, it will be interesting to see how negotiations go for each of Boston’s guards, especially since another important backcourt player was added to the rotation.
