Payton Pritchard opens 2026-27 healthy, with a reported extension in hand
Payton Pritchard is not on the Boston Celtics injury report. He played in each of the team's last three games after two short day-to-day stints this month. Per Shams Charania, he and the Celtics agreed to a two-year extension.
By the Celtics Nightly Desk · updated 1 h ago01The story of the nightWhere things standPritchard is healthy and in the rotation.
Pritchard is healthy and in the rotation. He is not on the injury report as Boston plays its first games of the 2026-27 season. He wears No. 11 and is listed as a guard at 6-1 and 212 pounds. He is 28, played at Oregon, and has 6 seasons in the league, all with the Celtics. He was listed day-to-day twice this month and was cleared both times. His most recent game was a loss to Detroit, where he scored 17 points in 27.5 minutes. The bigger story is his contract. Per Shams Charania, Pritchard and the Celtics agreed to a two-year extension. The deal ties him to Boston beyond this season and makes his role in the backcourt clear.
02Last season's numbersLast season Pritchard had his most complete year as a Celtic.
Last season Pritchard had his most complete year as a Celtic. He played 79 games and averaged 32.3 minutes, so he was a regular part of the rotation, not a spot-minutes guard. He averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds. He shot 46.4 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three and 89.0 percent at the line. His true shooting was 58.4 percent on a usage rate of 21.0. He averaged 1.4 turnovers and 0.7 steals. Boston was 5.4 points per game better with him on the floor last season. Those numbers explain why the front office wanted to keep him. He scores efficiently, handles the ball, and rarely gives possessions away.
03The spring series against PhiladelphiaPritchard's spring ended against Philadelphia, and the series swung both ways for him.
Pritchard's spring ended against Philadelphia, and the series swung both ways for him. His best night was a 32-point game in a Boston win, with 5 assists and a plus-minus of 20.0. He added 15 points in another win. Things went the other way late in the series. He scored 12, then 14, then 13 points in three straight Boston losses. In the final game he played 39.4 minutes, his heaviest load of the series, and finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Earlier in the series he had a 4-point night in a loss. He was steady as a playmaker throughout, but his scoring was hot one game and cold the next.
04How October has gonePritchard's October has been short on minutes and solid in production.
Pritchard's October has been short on minutes and solid in production. He sat out the Cleveland game on the same day he was listed day-to-day for an undisclosed reason. He was cleared two days later and scored 25 points with 7 assists against Philadelphia in 24.5 minutes, with a plus-minus of 35.0. Against Charlotte he ran the offense: 7 points and 11 assists in 29.4 minutes in a Boston win. He was then listed day-to-day for rest and was cleared the next day. Against Detroit he scored 17 points with 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 27.5 minutes in a loss. That is two big games in his last three. The minutes are still being managed.
05The extension and the noise around itShams Charania reported that Pritchard and the Celtics agreed to a two-year extension.
Shams Charania reported that Pritchard and the Celtics agreed to a two-year extension. That is the clearest signal of where the front office stands on him. Boston is choosing to keep a guard who played 79 games last season and shot 37.7 percent from three, instead of letting him reach the market. Pritchard was also part of a September Celtics notes roundup by Souichi Terada, which covered him along with other roster and coaching items. For fans, the takeaway is simple. Pritchard is not a trade chip or a question mark. He is part of the plan, and the reported deal means he will be in the backcourt past this season.
Pritchard17.0 ppg
Giddey17.0 ppg
