Boston's open reports range from a 67 to a 26 on our confidence scale, and only Payton Pritchard's extension has a source and a score to match. Any move that adds real salary would cross the $200.4M tax line from a $198.7M payroll.
Pritchard's extension is the one report with weight behind it.
Shams Charania reported on October 13 that Pritchard and Boston agreed to a two-year extension. It scores 67, the highest of the open items, and no terms have been reported. The play on the floor fits the story: Pritchard averages 15.0 points in 27.7 minutes over six games this season, and he scored 30 against the Bulls on October 30. Six games is a thin base, and the extension was agreed before any of them.
A denial from Brown's camp is not a transaction.
Kris Rhim reported on October 27 that a representative for Jaylen Brown denied a claim that he had demanded a trade from Boston. The item scores 51 and remains open. Brown's name has since turned up in several notes columns, but none of them added a detail. A name repeated is not a fact repeated, so this one belongs with the noise.
The option and two-way items are housekeeping, and one is stale.
Hoopsrumors reported on October 30 that Boston exercised its options on Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez. It scores 42, which says more about how thin the sourcing is than about the news. The report that Boston is converting Devin Carter to a two-way contract dates to October 17, scores 26, and has no date attached. Carter is listed out with an illness, and November 8 is the target date given for his return. A conversion would not wait on that date, so treat the report as unconfirmed.
The cap sheet allows small moves and not much else.
Boston's payroll is $198.7M, over the cap and under the tax line of $200.4M, which leaves $1.7M of room before the tax. Tatum at $58.5M and George at $54.1M account for most of the commitments. Any report that implies incoming salary has to clear that margin first, and none of the seven does so on its face. The one reliable item, the extension, is the one that would add to next year's sheet.
Are the Celtics extending Payton Pritchard?
Shams Charania reported on October 13 that Pritchard and Boston agreed to a two-year extension. No dollar figures or option details have been reported.
Do the Celtics have room under the luxury tax for a trade?
Not much. Payroll is $198.7M against a tax line of $200.4M, a margin of $1.7M.
