At the 2022 NBA trade deadline, the San Antonio Spurs decided to move along from Derrick White as they looked a bit toward the future.
They traded White to the Boston Celtics, and nearly four years later, it's clear it was a brutal misfire.
White has developed into one of the most underrated players in the NBA.
And the guys the Spurs got? Oof, not good.
This was the Spurs' return for White:
- Josh Richardson
- Romeo Langford
- 2022 first-round pick (Blake Wesley)
- 2028 conditional pick swap
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There's a reason none of those names have any relevance to the Spurs right now. This was a total mistake.
Why does no one mention the Spurs trading Derrick White as one of the worst trades of the last 20 years? They traded for Romeo Langford, Blake Wesley (2022 Spurs 1st), Josh Richardson and a 2028 swap.
— Krishna Narsu (@knarsu3) January 5, 2026
White wasn't as good as he is now when he was with the Spurs, but the analytics were a big fan of him.
It's clear that he has now maximized his potential. White is a deadeye 3-point shooter, a great playmaker and also the best shot-blocking guard in the entire NBA.
The Spurs successfully tanked after trading White and got Victor Wembanyama. Maybe that doesn't happen without the deal.
But imagine a world where Wemby had White on his team. That'd certainly look good if there had been an alternate universe where the Spurs made that happen.
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