Welcome to Boston, Payton Pritchard!

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

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However, an important side factor of those trades this summer was opening the door to Pritchard becoming a meaningful rotation player again. It’s something he showed he could be during the 2022 NBA Finals run and keeping proven and cheap situational talent on the bench is going to be integral for this group to get to where it wants to go.

With this latest extension, the Celtics are clearly betting on a Pritchard breakout happening and locking him up before the price potentially goes up with strong play is a savvy gamble. With a game-high 26 points off the bench in Boston’s preseason-opening win on Sunday night, the Celtics can already feel good about their bet.

There’s no guarantee that Pritchard will finish out his next contract in Boston but what feels probable is that the 25-year-old will be an asset while earning an average of $7.5 million the next four years, far under the mid-level exception. That’s a contract the Celtics can afford to keep off the bench amid a sea of high-priced starters. It also could become a deal that would be appealing to potential suitors if Stevens finds one more piece he thinks could put this team over the top.

[itrsteve]

What an absolute steal. I feel like he could have got more BUT a guaranteed $30m is fantastic and the log jam has been cleared for him to really make a name for himself.

[165bows]

I was totally wrong on PP getting traded before getting extended.

Still get used to the new ownership mantra of LET IT RAAAIINN BI$Che$$

This is good business as long as it’s an extremely tradable contract, which it seems to be. So: hooray. Now extend White to stay in BOS please!

Ahem (cough cough).

Just settling up here

You are a scholar and a gentleman. Or neither, I don’t really know, but holy crap did I lose that bet fast!

And a knave and an arse without a doubt!

[165bows]

What an absolute steal. I feel like he could have got more BUT a guaranteed $30m is fantastic and the log jam has been cleared for him to really make a name for himself.

I lobbied heavily to make this a poll, simple yes or no - does a PP extension get bigger than the (Gradey) Dick contract ($4/21M, first two years guaranteed).

Feel comfortable saying very few would have picked an over on that, with most answers of course being $0.

Personally would have thought $3/17M with the last year being an option (of some sort) was the middle ground but apparently that was off.

[djFan71]

$7.5M seems like a lot at first for Pritchard, but that's really not much. I do think he'll be a serviceable 3rd guard with random offensive explosion games. Worst case, ballast next summer.

Big concerns are
A) He's a target on D in playoffs
B) He dribbles too much and people stand around and watch.

A is whatever for a 3rd guard, can't expect everything for that $
B is mainly with the scrubs in garbage time, but ideally he orchestrates a little more with them and gets others involved. He's better with rotation guys like Tatum, which is really what matters. Gotta figure that will be his main PT outside garbage is with Tatum, or one of Jrue/White. So, he's gonna be secondary creation at most.

[steefP2]

$7.5M seems like a lot at first for Pritchard, but that's really not much. I do think he'll be a serviceable 3rd guard with random offensive explosion games. Worst case, ballast next summer.

Big concerns are
A) He's a target on D in playoffs
B) He dribbles too much and people stand around and watch.

A is whatever for a 3rd guard, can't expect everything for that $
B is mainly with the scrubs in garbage time, but ideally he orchestrates a little more with them and gets others involved. He's better with rotation guys like Tatum, which is really what matters. Gotta figure that will be his main PT outside garbage is with Tatum, or one of Jrue/White. So, he's gonna be secondary creation at most.

Pritchard's starting salary in the extension projects to be just 4.72% of the 2024-25 salary cap.
Only Renaldo Balkman (2.89% on 2009 extension with Nuggets) and Nassir Little (4.59% on 2022 extension with Trail Blazers) started rookie-scale extensions at lower shares of the salary cap.
Here are the smallest rookie-scale extensions in NBA history, by first-year salary as percentage of salary cap:



Credit goes to Dan Feldman for the above image.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[zoyathedestroya]

Officially official.

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[31to6]

Officially official.

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ain't that a guy we see on the Tik Toks?

[Green89]

I just saw betting odds at who may win most improved player this season. He is strangely not even in the top 22 players. If I were a betting man ...

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[zoyathedestroya]

Preseason P continues to impress.

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[ryan in Maine]

M-V-Pre! M-V-Pre!

[zoyathedestroya]

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[Joshyjess]

I hope this new contract gives Pritchard the chance to mess up occasionally. It just felt like last year, that he was on a very, very short leash, and one mess up, and he was benched. Having the confidence to play without having to worry about making a mistake or two is so important to the developement of a player, and I hope he now has that chance.

[BK_2020]

I hope this new contract gives Pritchard the chance to mess up occasionally. It just felt like last year, that he was on a very, very short leash, and one mess up, and he was benched. Having the confidence to play without having to worry about making a mistake or two is so important to the developement of a player, and I hope he now has that chance.

He's like 26 years old. He's done developing.

[Joshyjess]

I hope this new contract gives Pritchard the chance to mess up occasionally. It just felt like last year, that he was on a very, very short leash, and one mess up, and he was benched. Having the confidence to play without having to worry about making a mistake or two is so important to the developement of a player, and I hope he now has that chance.

He's like 26 years old. He's done developing.

If you've watched the preseason at all, you will see that he is far from done developing. He looks much better now than he did last year. In one of the last games Scal even talked about seeing Pritchard do something he's never seen him do before. Getting the chance to play more, and without worrying about being pulled, has definitely helped Payton develop into a better player. Besides, most players don't hit their peak until their into their 26 - 28 year old range. For example, I expect to see Tatum take another step this year in his deveolpement.

[Tatumfor2]

He looks a lot more crafty around the rim in these first few preseason games.

[zoyathedestroya]

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