“Obviously, seeing KP and Jrue get traded, it was tough to see. And then Luke (Kornet) signs somewhere else.” Derrick White was very candid and was sad to see his championship winnings move away to different teams. But even his future throughout the summer was under scrutiny, but it seems the Beantown can take a sigh of relief. Although the same can’t be said for the Golden State franchise, which has reportedly missed out on signing the all-around guard during the off-season.
Ever since the Jayson Tatum Achilles injury, the tide in Boston has changed. The team shipped Jrue Holiday to Portland and Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta, which helped them clear roughly $27 million. But the moves didn’t stop there. Luke Kornet departed from the Boston Celtics in free agency and signed with the San Antonio Spurs. Since there were so many changes, the Warriors thought about going for Derrick White. Not a bad thought. But the Celtics turned it down quickly. And it was not only they that faced a stern no from the franchise.
Reporter Jake Fischer stated, “I know that the Toronto Raptors were calling with a number nine pick for Jrue and for Derrick.” But the Boston franchise rejected it. “Yeah. I don’t think Boston ever really was so interested in that selection for one of those types of guys. I think you know Golden State definitely called for Derrick White too, but there’s just nothing that I know for Jaylen that got really close or for Derrick, too.” So, the Warriors called and were interested in White, who had a career high in scoring and rebounding last year.
He averaged 16.4 points and 4.5 rebounds, and let’s not forget the other skills like his defensive ability, which he brings to the table. His profile is what many teams want, and he fits well with the Dub Nation as well. But what would it take for the Celtics to accept an offer for the 31-year-old? Fischer added, “And I don’t think they were really like willing to move those guys either. Like you would have had to really make some, you have to make this trade, Desmond Bane, Mikal Bridges type of offer for Derrick White.”
What the NBA Insider means by that, the teams would have to involve multiple first-round picks alongside players for the chance that the offer is seen. In Bane’s scenario, Magic sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round draft picks to the Grizzlies. Similarly, the Knicks sent Bojan Bogdanovic and five 1st-round draft picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Mikal Bridges. The Warriors do have their first-round picks from 2026-29 at the moment. But are hesitant to let go of any, as revealed by their GM.
Mike Dunleavy, in an episode of “The TK Show” with Tim Kawakami, was very clear about protecting the first-round picks. “We’re probably more protective of them than most teams.” His reasoning is simple: the aging factor of their Big 3. As they have to start thinking about the future, with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, getting to the end of their careers.
This is a developing story…
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