Shams: Pritchard Extends (2 Yrs/$44M with Option)

[Donoghus]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
24s
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has agreed to a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension, plus a mutual option in the 2029-30 season, CAA Co-Head of Basketball Austin Brown and agent Max Saidman tell ESPN.

Great value here by the C's.

[Who]

He sold himself cheap here.

[A Future of Stevens]

Mutual option? Is that a thing?

Honestly its a great deal for the Celtics

[ozgod]

He sold himself cheap here.

I thought he would go for at least $25m. That's still a solid number for the Cs.

So our cap in 2028-29 (with the luxury tax repeater rate reset) looks like:

(click to enlarge)



We will be just below the salary cap with 10 rostered players, including Tatum, White, PP Hauser, Robinson, Queta, Cenac, Harper and Hugo, we would have the rights to match any offer for Baylor, plus we would be $41m below the tax line, $50m below the 1st apron and $65m below the second apron.  Plenty of money to spend on the next 4-5 players 

[slamtheking]

He sold himself cheap here.

I thought he would go for at least $25m. That's still a solid number for the Cs.

So our cap in 2028-29 (with the luxury tax repeater rate reset) looks like:

(click to enlarge)



We will be just below the salary cap with 10 rostered players, including Tatum, White, PP Hauser, Robinson, Queta, Cenac, Harper and Hugo, we would have the rights to match any offer for Baylor, plus we would be $41m below the tax line, $50m below the 1st apron and $65m below the second apron.  Plenty of money to spend on the next 4-5 players 

that's not quite what it will be.  Even though PGs current deal is off the books at that time, we'll either have a new deal with him in place or we'll have a pricey deal for whomever we get in exchange for PG when we trade him.

[slamtheking]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
24s
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has agreed to a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension, plus a mutual option in the 2029-30 season, CAA Co-Head of Basketball Austin Brown and agent Max Saidman tell ESPN.

Great value here by the C's.

agreed.  C's got off a bit lucky that's all it took to extend him

[ozgod]

He sold himself cheap here.

I thought he would go for at least $25m. That's still a solid number for the Cs.

So our cap in 2028-29 (with the luxury tax repeater rate reset) looks like:

(click to enlarge)



We will be just below the salary cap with 10 rostered players, including Tatum, White, PP Hauser, Robinson, Queta, Cenac, Harper and Hugo, we would have the rights to match any offer for Baylor, plus we would be $41m below the tax line, $50m below the 1st apron and $65m below the second apron.  Plenty of money to spend on the next 4-5 players 

that's not quite what it will be.  Even though PGs current deal is off the books at that time, we'll either have a new deal with him in place or we'll have a pricey deal for whomever we get in exchange for PG when we trade him.

I know that, I didn't want to complicate my post with hypotheticals which is why I counted him among the 4-5 players we would have the bucket of money to spend on. I'm guessing they will extend him for a lower AAV in exchange for declining his final year option in 2027-28, maybe a number around $20m-$25m (depending on his performance this season) which would reduce our salary cap next year by $31-$36m and make his contract much more fungible, and maybe do the same with DW and Robinson to decline their player options as well to reduce the AAV for more security long term. There's plenty of possibilities in the next couple of years, and I'm sure Brad and his team have simulated all of them already   

[Csfan1984]

For that discount I am sure he requested/demanded to start this year.

[Vermont Green]

This is 3 and 4 seasons out for Pritchard.  A lot can happen in that time either way.  The deal is understandably going to be viewed as team friendly, but there is going to be a lot less money available for middle class players like him going forward.  At the end of this, he will have made over $84M and will be only 32 and able to sign another deal.  I can see his rationale for taking this deal, even accepting he is leaving some money on the table.

And as for Paul George by the time his deal is up, who knows.  He may well be traded before then, but I feel that is less likely as time has gone on.  What people seem to be thinking is that he would decline his final year at close to $57M and then take say $20M+ for 3 years?  It would be like stretching his contract without waiving him.  I am not sure how smart that would be for either party. 

Derrick White and Mitch Robinson have player options the year after George.  They may not stick around or their numbers may be very different.  Hauser could get traded.  Way too many variables for me to start trying to figure out 2028-29 roster/cap.  I see the only givens that far out as Tatum, Queta, and now Pritchard.  Probably Hugo and Cenac are still around.  But beyond that, who knows.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Especially ready now for a Jalen Brunson-type surge in production this year.