Payton Pritchard has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Boston Celtics, a league source confirmed Tuesday. The deal is reportedly worth $44.2 million and includes a mutual option for the second season, meaning both Pritchard and the team must opt out for him to become a free agent.

The 28-year-old guard currently has two years remaining on his existing four-year, $30 million contract, so the new extension will take effect beginning with the 2028-29 NBA season. This move reflects a continued approach by Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to secure key players for multiple years.

Pritchard was originally selected by the Celtics with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by then-president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. He showed early promise as a rookie, averaging 7.7 points over 19.2 minutes per game. However, his minutes and scoring declined over the next two seasons, leading Pritchard to request a trade midway through his third year.

Despite the trade request, Stevens opted to retain Pritchard and communicated a vision for an expanded role moving forward. Initially, Pritchard expressed frustration, especially after finding himself still with Boston following the February 2023 trade deadline. The extension signals a renewed commitment between the player and the Celtics as they look to build around a core group of contributors.