Boston Celtics: B/R sees Derrick White as odd man out in backcourt
The Boston Celtics, in trading center Daniel Theis, guard/forward Aaron Nesmith, forwards Malik Fitts and Juwan Morgan, guard Nik Stauskas, and a 2023 first-round draft choice for Malcolm Brogdon, overloaded a position that already served as a strength in Beantown.
Boston’s guard rotation already benefitted from the presence of reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard, but Brogdon gave them a true pass-first point guard many felt they were missing.
All this talent does beg the question, though: is there such thing as too much of a good thing? MassLive’s Brian Robb believes the Cs may soon feel that way and trade one of the team’s guards.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley agrees and named White as the odd man out in the Boston Celtics backcourt in a piece titled ‘1 Player Every NBA Team Should Trade This Season’:
"“(Derrick White’s) offensive limitations surfaced at the worst possible time. In the Finals, his jumper abandoned him and effectively rendered him useless. The Celtics have since added Malcom Brogdon—essentially a souped-up version of White—to their backcourt. With Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard all capable of handling guard minutes as well, Boston could move White (and his cumbersome $16.9 million cap hit) without missing a beat.”"
Who the Boston Celtics could pursue with Derrick White
The Houdini agrees that Derrick White is the best possible trade chip for the Boston Celtics, assuming Malcolm Brogdon ends up being the glove fit his preseason appearances are having us expect of him. With his $17 million cap figure, Brad Stevens can explore adding a high-level role player with a different skillset on his second or third NBA deal.
Some of the best options fitting that description include O.G. Anounoby, Malik Beasley, and Lauri Markkanen — the latter of whom Heavy’s Adam Taylor has made the case to trade for with White in the past.
While White provides shooting and defense, adding size with those same traits could be a great way to make up for any time the team is down either Robert Williams or Al Horford in the frontcourt. We know the next 8-12 weeks will involve a loss of the former, and the latter is 36 and could naturally wear down as the season progresses.
Truthfully, White would most likely be moved in a deal for a ‘bigger fish’ as MassLive’s Brian Robb relayed this summer.