Can the Boston Celtics cut costs this offseason while keeping their championship DNA intact?
That’ll be the challenge facing Boston’s front office. Players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are being floated as potential trade chips. Jaylen Brown, too.
If you’re a Celtics player not named Jayson Tatum, you’ll probably find yourself in rumors this summer.
In a new development, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wondered whether Boston might go into trade business with the Detroit Pistons.
“Instead of paying north of $220 million in salary and north of $230 million in the luxury tax, Boston could send a player (or players) into another team's cap space and go for a quick reload for 2026-27,” Bailey wrote.
Bailey then proposed the following trade:
“Derrick White and Baylor Scheierman for Jaden Ivey, a top-10 protected 2027 first-round pick and a top-5 protected 2029 first-round pick.”
“Though it would hurt to lose Derrick White, Jaden Ivey is an interesting potential replacement who's younger, makes less money (for now) and still has plenty of developmental runway,” Bailey wrote.
“Getting picks along with him is a bonus for an expensive team that will need contributors on rookie deals for the foreseeable future.”
“For the Detroit Pistons, this is obviously about taking the next step toward meaningful contention. White will improve the team's defense, take a little pressure off Cade Cunningham as a playmaker and boost the team's three-point volume and efficiency.”
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Bailey’s suggestion here is somewhat of a head-scratcher from Boston’s perspective.
Trading White, a cornerstone of the 2024 championship squad, would be a reckless misstep for Celtics GM Brad Stevens.
Alongside Jayson Tatum, White should be considered untouchable in Boston because of how far his two-way basketball value exceeds his contract — White’s importance to winning rivals that of max-money stars, yet he’s not paid like one.
White remains one of the NBA’s most underrated players. He’s one of the best defensive players in the world and has recently become a serious threat from three, too.
White’s versatility—shutting down guards or wings, facilitating for Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and drilling clutch threes—makes him a perfect fit in Boston.
Boston’s title window is now, even if that window will be briefly closed for the next 12 months before re-opening. The Celtics would be foolish to let White go—he’s indispensable.
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