The Boston Celtics made some major changes to their roster this offseason. Big man Kristaps Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday were the big additions to the lineup, but it did not come at a cheap cost to acquire them in trades.
Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and Robert Williams III were part of the trade packages and Grant Williams landed with the Dallas Mavericks via sign-and-trade. That will open up opportunities for other players on the roster, such as Payton Pritchard, to have expanded roles.
That is certainly the impression the Celtics gave off when it was announced that they agreed to an extension with Pritchard. The two sides worked out a fully guaranteed four-year, $30 million deal per his agents Austin Brown, Max Saidman, and Mitch Nathan of CAA Sports.
“It feels really good,” Pritchard said after Boston’s first preseason game Sunday night. “Just to be secure, lock it in and be a part of a great organization, a great city. I think this is the best basketball organization and city in the NBA. It feels good.”
Pritchard, a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is the seventh player to receive a rookie-scale extension. Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane all signed max extensions with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies. Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons and Devin Vassell of the San Antonio Spurs are the other players who signed to this point.
Pritchard saw his role with the Celtics shrink last season, as he averaged only 13.4 minutes per game, making 48 regular season appearances with three starts. The games played were also a career-low as he in and out of the rotation throughout the season. He played in only 10 of their 20 playoff games as well.
That lack of participation will assuredly change this season. The Celtics wouldn’t have locked him into a four-year deal paying $7.5 million annually if they didn’t have plans to play him more.
With Brogdon and Smart no longer on the roster, there are minutes in the backcourt available even with the addition of Holiday. Pritchard should assume the backup point guard role with a skill set that will enable him to play alongside any of the other guards in the rotation.
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