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New Report Emerges on Rejected Celtics-Raptors Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt John | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 11:34 PM ET

Because the Boston Celtics entered the offseason hoping to save money, trade suitors were willing to offer them valuable assets for some of their players. The Toronto Raptors offered the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for Derrick White, per The Ringer's Zach Lowe, but the Celtics declined and then some.

"There were reports that the Raptors offered No. 9 for Derrick White," Lowe said on June 26. "I'm told that's true, but it happened like a month-and-a-half ago, right after Jayson Tatum got hurt, and Boston laughed at that offer and said, 'We need way more than No. 9 for Derrick White.'"

White is still on the team and will enter the first year of a four-year, $118 million contract when the 2025-26 season starts. The Raptors kept the pick and used it to draft Collin Murray-Boyles.

As it turns out, White wasn't the only Celtic the Raptors inquired about. Jake Fischer told CLNS Media's Bobby Manning on The Garden Report that the Raptors offered a similar trade for Jrue Holiday.

"Toronto Raptors were calling for the number nine pick for Jrue and for Derrick," Fischer said. "I don’t think Boston ever really was so interested in that selection for one of those types of guys."

NEW @CelticsCLNS -- @JakeLFischer joined @TheGardenReport in Vegas and discussed the #Celtics' offseason, including why Boston passed up on the No. 9 pick from Toronto for Derrick White, Jrue Holiday. pic.twitter.com/daNClC3Utk
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) July 16, 2025

Holiday was instead traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons. Kristaps Porzingis was later traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-way trade that sent them Massachusetts native Georges Niang in return.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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