Boston Celtics guard Derrick White
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White | Brian Fluharty/GettyImages
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Boston Celtics have been turning down anyone who has inquired about a potential Derrick White trade.
"Derrick White, who turns 31 in July, has always drawn interest from teams around the league," Scotto wrote in a newsletter on Tuesday. "However, Boston has rebuffed previous inquiries to this point, and he’s still young enough to potentially be a difference-maker during the 2026-27 season when [Jayson] Tatum should be fully healthy."
It's not surprising that teams have been interested in trading for White. He's been unbelievable for the Celtics since joining them at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. In his three-and-a-half seasons in green, White has appeared in 257 games for the Celtics, playing 31.1 minutes each outing. He's been named to two All-Defensive teams and helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title.
The 30-year-old just wrapped up his best season as a pro. In the 2024-25 campaign, White averaged a career-high 16.4 points, as well as 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 38.4% from long range.
Trading Derrick White would be crazy for the Celtics to do
White's fit within Boston's team can't be praised enough. He's willing to defend at nauseum and can shapeshift offensively to fill whatever role the Celtics need him to on any given night. Back in March, White exploded for a career-high 41 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on a night when both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were out of the lineup.
He's on a team-friendly contract through the 2027-28 season and has a $34.9 million player option the following year. With how restrictive the NBA's newest update to its collective bargaining agreement is, having players who overproduce for their paycheck is more valuable than ever.
It would be pretty difficult to open up the trade machine and come up with a deal that would replace White's value for Boston. Even if they were to land promising young talent in return, they'd likely end up having to pay those hypothetical players more than they pay White down the line.
Even when removing the basketball aspect from this entire equation, White is an awesome teammate, by all accounts. Specifically, he's one of Tatum's closest friends on the team. The two have come together for "headband games," where they'll both break out the headware if one of them is in the mood to do so.
They even swapped accessories in a late-season win over the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum wore White's signature compression pants, while White rocked an armband and a single leg sleeve.
I'm sure the Celtics trading away one of Tatum's best friends in a cost-cutting effort wouldn't sit well with the star forward. Especially as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday remain the most likely trade candidates for Boston
While Scotto's newsletter omitted White as a potential trade candidate, it reinforced many of the rumblings Celtics fans have been hearing for months.
Both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were listed as likely players to be dealt in the offseason. Scotto also mentioned sharpshooter Sam Hauser as someone else to watch in the trade market.