Payton Pritchard has signed to a four-year, $30 million contract deal with the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Pritchard’s future with the organization was uncertain after he reportedly asked for a trade last season, when he was playing behind both starting guards Marcus Smart and Derrick White. Malcolm Brogdon, the Sixth Man of the Year, played an important role off the bench, relegating Pritchard to reserve and garbage time.
However, this offseason saw Pritchard change his tune about a potential trade, as with the departure of both Smart and Brogdon, he now firmly occupies the third guard spot behind White and Jrue Holiday.
Many fans wondered if Pritchard’s talents were being wasted in such a limited role, as he was a part of the Celtics’ NBA Finals rotation the year prior. An undersized player that struggles on the defensive end, Pritchard is talented shot creator who can heat up from deep and provide some break-glass-in-case-of-emergency threes in a tight spot.
When he was on the floor, Pritchard often played well above his reserve status, frequently feasting at the end of games or when regular rotation players missed time, posting a 30-point triple-double in the final game of the regular season against the Atlanta Hawks.
After practice yesterday, teammate Sam Hauser said of Pritchard, “he’s really, really been aggressive. He worked really hard this summer, and I think he’s out for blood this year. So, I’m really excited to see what he has to bring to the table this year.”
The new contract keeps Pritchard in Boston for a relatively fair price, locking him in for the three-year window in which several of the team’s most crucial contracts are scheduled to expire.
