Mar 12, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) slaps hands with Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) after being fouled by the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Celtics Rumors: 'No Way' Boston Trades Fan-Favorite Star

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Ricardo Klein | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Boston Celtics have a monumental summer ahead of them. It is not a stretch to call it one of the biggest summers that they could endure.

The Celtics have a ton on their plate, and with severe luxury tax penalties on the horizon, it is crucial that they make significant changes to their roster. Boston needs to cut a ton of money off their salary, and there are a ton of fan favorites who the Celtics may have no choice but to move, including Derrick White.

White is one of the names the Celtics could move according to multiple reports; however, if you ask former Celtics champion, Brian Scalabrine, he doesn’t buy it.

In a recent podcast appearance, Scalabrine is not buying the rumors of the team moving on from White.

"You don't have to ask that question. You know the answer," Scalabrine said on NBC Sports Boston's Off C'season special. "Come on, Chris. I mean, we could pretend or anything like that. We've got other things to talk about.

"There's no way in hell Derrick White is not on this team next year, the next five years. We just know. Come on."

While it is the last thing Scalabrine and the Celtics want is to trade White, it could very well become a reality.

White’s contract does not help. He just completed the first year of his four-year, $125.9 million contract that he signed last July. This upcoming season, he will be owed $28 million, and that will only increase in the years to come.

Boston cannot and is in no position to pay him his contract.

The Celtics are bracing for a steep luxury tax hit that could soar to $280 million — a figure fueled by their inflated payroll and status as a repeater team, having gone over the cap in three of the last four seasons.

If salary and tax projections hold, Boston could be on the hook for a jaw-dropping $513 million next season. And if that happens, they’ll be handcuffed in a number of ways when it comes to roster construction.

They’d be unable to bundle contracts in trades, exceed 100 percent of a traded player exception, include cash in deals, utilize existing trade exceptions, or sign waived players making $14.1 million or more.

In short, Boston’s flexibility is in serious jeopardy, and White could pay the price.

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This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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