Boston Celtics playoff hero a ‘non-starter’ in Jrue Holiday trade talks: Analyst
Boston Celtics Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 hero, and the C’s presumed starting point guard during the 2023-24 season following the Marcus Smart trade, Derrick White, is a “non-starter” in any Jrue Holiday trade discussions in the eyes of CelticsBlog’s Oliver Fox.
“Malcolm Brogdon and a more lucrative pick-package is definitely in the cards, as well as a shockingly large war chest of second round picks acquired through a bunch of super random trades last year,” Fox prefaced before saying, “Maybe Payton Pritchard even gets to go home to Portland, which I think would make everyone happy.
“But you start to lose me when names like Robert Williams III and (shivers) Derrick White get brought up. Most of the reason I’m so interested in Jrue is because of how glorious a backcourt he and White would be. The sheer amount of defense would be staggering. With Porzingis arriving, I could be convinced to include Williams in a trade, but White is a non-starter.”
I’d rather give Derrick White the chance to be the Boston Celtics starting point guard than worrying about ways to trade for Jrue Holiday. pic.twitter.com/gs0zlTogJz
— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) September 28, 2023
Derrick White must prove himself indispensable for the Boston Celtics in 2023-24
The margin of error is so thin when it comes to winning and losing championships, and with the Boston Celtics so close to Banner 18, everyone needs to play as the idealized versions of themselves or close enough to it.
White is being handed enormous responsibilities in playing out of position to be the team’s starting floor general. If that experiment doesn’t work, unfortunately, White could find himself as the scapegoat — especially considering the Smart void he’d be failing to fill.
Does that jeopardize White’s future earnings? With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis locked in until 2026, White’s 2025 free agency demands might not be met by the front office if there aren’t tangible results in the next two postseasons.
On the flip side, though, is the possibility of White earning that fourth massive deal for Boston’s books. Filling out a roster of low-cost role players around four big contracts is a tough pill to swallow only if there isn’t championship clout to back up such a task.