The Boston Celtics have recently moved on from several members of their 2024 championship team, including Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet.
However, one player from their core who still remains is Derrick White. He signed a four-year, $125.9 million contract extension with the Celtics in July 2024, just weeks after helping them win their 18th NBA championship.
White’s extension starts this season and runs through 2028-29, potentially keeping him in Boston for the rest of the decade.
On Tuesday’s episode of his new “White Noise” podcast, the 31-year-old guard revealed why he decided to stay with the Celtics.
Derrick White said signing an extension with the Celtics was a no-brainer:“Boston has been good. My kids were born in Boston, I kind of developed as a player in Boston…it’s like what's going to make me happy? And I knew that was going to be in Boston. I love it in Boston.” pic.twitter.com/9ZPpbJAUQU— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) September 2, 2025
“I’d never want to play anywhere else. I wanted to be in Boston…I’ve always said that,” White said. “It was pretty simple, pretty straightforward. Signing that, I was super excited just to stay in Boston and continue to be a Celtic. Hopefully do great things in Boston.”
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While White wanted to remain a Celtic on the court, he also wanted to stay in Boston for personal reasons.
“This is what I want. This is what my family wants,” White said. “Boston’s been good. My kids were born in Boston, I kind of developed as a player in Boston. That’s really what it was about — where do I want to be, what’s going to make me happy, and I knew that was going to be in Boston.”
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After starting his career with the San Antonio Spurs, White has emerged as one of the best league’s best guards since being traded to the Celtics during the 2021-22 season. An elite defender and three-point shooter, he averaged a career-high 16.4 points per game last season and finished 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
With Jayson Tatum expected to miss most (if not all) of the coming season with an Achilles injury, Boston is counting on White to step up and carry some of the scoring load in his absence. If he does, this may be his best season yet.