The Boston Celtics demand for Derrick White trade and how the New York Knicks have set the bar

The Celtics want to keep White and Brown to remain stable

Boston wants to remain competitive despite losing their best player for the 2025-26 season. With a core of White, Brown, and Simons, they have a promising trio who can spearhead a Playoff run. They will likely not contend for a championship, but staying at a competitive level is a reasonable goal.

The Celtics also have Payton Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. Debates are already raging about the starter between Pritchard and Simons. This shows the Celtics are deep enough to remain competitive in a weakened Eastern Conference.

They cannot stay competitive after Tatum’s return if they do not have White or Brown. The rumors about the Celtics trading their wing duo were overblown. Boston’s assistant GM Mike Zarren addressed the reports and said there are no plans to trade them.

“Those two guys are really, really great players, and there hasn’t been anything close to seriously trading them. I’m not sure where all that reporting came from,” Zarren said to the media.

Of course, that does not mean they are not listening to offers. The reported Bridges-level package wouldn’t have come out if they had not had talks. However, that value already implies White will not be available unless a desperate team makes an offer.

The Celtics are preparing for the 2026-27 season

The bigger picture for the Celtics is when Tatum returns to the team in the 2026-27 season. Boston won’t be successful without him, so retaining a solid core should help them contend for a championship again.

However, they remain focused on avoiding the second apron, so they have more money to spend on the long-term future. The Celtics are not giving up, but they are being more mindful with their moves.

This includes a potential trade involving Simons moving again. He is in the final year of his contract in the 2025-26 season, so options are open for Boston.

Parting ways with Holiday and Porzingis was tough, but the team is ready to keep building around Tatum and Brown. With White, they have the player who perfectly complements their skill set, as they look to contend again.