The Celtics can't let Derrick White leave in the offseason
Over the past two years, Derrick White has been among the most impactful members of the Boston Celtics' roster. He's gone from being a key rotation piece to a borderline star, and his fingerprints are all over the Celtics' recent successes.
However, with Boston facing some tough choices this summer, it would appear opposing front offices are beginning to circle. Brad Stevens will likely need to get his team below the second luxury tax apron and White is one of the Celtics' most tradable assets.
Fortunately for Boston fans, it would appear Stevens has been hanging up the phone on any potential trade discussions for the do-it-all guard.
"Derrick White, who turns 31 in July, has always drawn interest from teams around the league," Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported. "However, Boston has rebuffed previous inquiries to this point, and he’s still young enough to potentially be a difference-maker during the 2026-27 season when Tatum should be fully healthy."
According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics are outscoring opponents by +10.4 points per 100 possessions when White is on the floor. In contrast, they're only winning by +7.9 when he's riding the bench. As such, White is clearly providing a boost on both sides of the floor.
Boston should do everything possible to keep White on its roster moving forward. The franchise is already expected to part ways with Jrue Holiday, and losing both two-way guards would not only hurt the team's production but also damage the roster's overall identity.
So, while changes to the Celtics rotation are inevitable, Stevens would be wise to continue putting the phone down when White's name is mentioned. Otherwise, Boston's championship DNA could be whittled down over the next 12 or 18 months, at which point, the team will have far bigger problems than an expensive luxury tax bill.
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