Expected annual salary of $22 million! Pritchard set to receive a lucrative extension, team reporter says he fully deserves it

Following the deal that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics could turn to Payton Pritchard to step up and replace the production of the departed All-Star forward. As Brown leaves via this major trade, Pritchard is poised for a role upgrade, which will probably come with a substantially increased salary in his next contract.

On September 13, Beijing time, according to Celtics reporter Washburn, Pritchard's current four-year, $30 million deal has two years remaining, and he is about to receive a rich extension.

"From a salary perspective, Payton is the next player to extend. I consider him one of the best value players in the league," Washburn said. "He's making $7.7 million this season and $8.3 million in the 2027-28 season. His extension is expected to be around $22 million annually. The finalization of this deal will depend to some extent on his performance this year, but I also think he has already shown enough impressive play to deserve that average of $22 million per year. In today's NBA, that's still a highly tradeable contract."

"I believe the Celtics will never regret this contract. It's a reward for Payton's hard work. We all know he has outperformed his current contract by a wide margin and is one of the best value players in the league. It's essentially the Celtics giving him a generous payday after the old deal expires. I think he's fully worth it."

In Washburn's view, Pritchard has steadily improved every season with the Celtics and ultimately deserves this well-earned extension.

"He works hard and keeps getting better. He has a championship ring and has also won the Sixth Man of the Year award," Washburn added. "He deserves this contract. There's almost no reason to hesitate on this extension."

Pritchard won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2025, and during the 2026-27 season, he averaged a career-high 17.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.