BOSTON — Before reporters could pepper Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla with questions on Wednesday night concerning point guard Payton Pritchard's reported contract extension, the fifth-year skipper made sure to (and was perhaps obligated to) point out that the deal wasn't official yet. However, that didn't stop Mazzulla from commending Pritchard's game and work ethic.
Ahead of Boston's preseason showdown against the Charlotte Hornets, Mazzulla said that Pritchard has been a pleasure to coach. The 2025 Sixth Man of the Year reportedly agreed to a two-year, $44 million contract extension on Tuesday that could keep him in the green and white through 2030.
Joe Mazzulla spoke highly of Payton Pritchard following his extension (which still isn’t
technically official) “I think when people think of a Celtic, he's one of the guys that first comes to mind.” pic.twitter.com/wa2hUApAkZ
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) October 14, 2026
"He comes in playing multiple roles for us, multiple positions," Mazzulla began. "For a guy to be here with us this long — just a true testament of his competitive nature. And I think when people think of a Celtic, he's one of the guys that first comes to mind. So, he's a great competitor, great guy."
Pritchard's time in Beantown hasn't been seamless. He even requested a trade at one point around 2023 mainly due to a lack of playing time, but the C's wouldn't let him go. The 6-foot-1 guard finally got a real opportunity to contribute not long after his request — and he made the most of his time on the floor. In each of the last three seasons, Pritchard has set a new career-best in minutes, rebounds, assists, and points.
Simply put, the more he's played, the better he's played.
"Just plays with a chip on his shoulder, but doesn't have an ego," Mazzulla described of Pritchard. "I think that's a balance that's difficult for people to be able to have. If you tell him he's starting, if you tell him he's coming off the bench, if you tell him he's playing 20 (minutes), if you tell him he's playing 30, the chip on his shoulder never changes. He doesn't need the affirmation to be an elite competitor."
Jayson Tatum, Mitchell Robinson, and many more Celtics are happy Payton Pritchard got paid.
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) October 13, 2026
Former Celtics and other NBA players across the league wished him well, too:
“Been that dude!” Dejounte Murray commented.
“Keep going,” Celtics champion Oshae Brissett said. pic.twitter.com/rUlCeuTJYl
Whether or not Pritchard joins the starting lineup to begin the 2026-27 season remains to be seen, yet the 28-year-old hasn't started this preseason. Regardless, he's still expected to log plenty of minutes, and he was the Celtics' leading scorer (25 points) during their 144-106 drubbing of the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.
Like Mazzulla hinted at, Pritchard's starting status won't impact his performance. He's going to compete his hardest no matter what. Just ask Hornets head coach and former Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee, who's very familiar with the 2024 NBA champion's drive.
"Really happy for Payton," Lee said pregame. "He works so hard, and so when you say what drives him...I think he just loves the game, like genuinely loves it. I don't want to speak for him. I've been around him a while, but you probably take the money out of it — he just loves to hoop."
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Joe Mazzulla explains why Celtics value Payton Pritchard following contract extension
