Derrick White's extension will test Celtics' willingness to pay luxury tax

Derrick White has been a massive hit since being traded to the Boston Celtics in 2022, becoming a core part of Joe Mazzulla's rotation that won the 2024 NBA championship on Monday. As such, there will undoubtedly be a desire to keep White around for the foreseeable future. 

White is eligible for a four-year contract extension with a maximum value of $126 million. He has one year remaining on his current deal, which will earn him $20 million. 

According to an Eastern Conference executive who spoke with Steve Bulpett of Heavy on Sports, the Celtics will likely have to commit the full $126 million to keep White around long-term. 

“They’re going to have to give him the max that they can," The executive told Bulpett. "The way he played, defensively, offensively, all of it, I don’t think they want to let him get to free agency (in 2025). They could maybe do some things at the back end of the deal, in terms of options or guaranteed money, but the framework is probably already there."

White is one of the best two-way guards in the NBA. During the playoffs, he held his opponents to 47.6% shooting from the field, which is impressive considering how often he was switched onto bigger wings and centers. He has also evolved as a perimeter scoring threat, converting 39.6% of his attempts from deep. 

Boston's backcourt partnership with White and Jrue Holiday was a major part of its championship run. Brad Stevens has already signed Holiday to an extension. He will undoubtedly want to do the same with White before focusing on Jayson Tatum's impending supermax. 

The Celtics are locking their core rotation into contract extensions. As such, their luxury-tax bill will continue to rise, especially once the repeater tax kicks in. Nevertheless, this season's championship will provide the front office with proof of concept. Teams are often willing to pay the tax bill when they can win multiple championships. 

The Celtics will likely have a four-year window to add more championship banners to the rafters of the TD Garden before they need to begin retooling. To maximize that window, the ownership group must dig deep into their pockets in the coming years. 

That's the cost of doing business at the top end of the NBA.