Derrick White has become the most irreplaceable player on the Boston Celtics after Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be traded in 2025-26. Boston is in uncharted territory, with multiple All-Stars lost this offseason and Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.
In the event that the Celtics' season goes south and an eye is turned to an even more dramatic restructuring of the team in place, then the Houston Rockets will likely be on line one for White.
White, 31, has become the prototype for what every team dreams of having in a third star. He's a skilled scorer with eye-opening shooting numbers, positional versatility, and the defensive acumen to disrupt even an elite offense's rhythm.
An NBA champion and two-time All-Defense honoree, White is a prime candidate to add an All-Star nod to his growing résumé in 2025-26.
There's a realistic possibility, however, that Boston fails to overcome the loss of four of its best players. Tatum could miss the entire 2025-26 season and the All-Star trio of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis all departed via trades or free agency.
If the season takes a turn for the worst and the Celtics feel as though building for the future is a wiser priority than salvaging the present, then the Rockets would make for an excellent trade partner.
Rockets need a player like Derrick White, have significant trade assets
It must be reiterated that Boston trading White would be a monumental decision that would effectively end the current era of Celtics basketball. Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Tatum would still form a tremendous trio if the resident superstar makes a full recovery from an Achilles tear, but White is a pivotal figure on the court and in the locker room.
If there's one team that could entice the Celtics to consider trading White at their lowest point, however, it would be the Rockets.
Houston has a surplus of assets to offer Boston, particularly in regard to up-and-coming talent with both untapped potential and intriguing immediate value. That includes captivating young forwards such as Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr., and compelling two-way guard Reed Sheppard.
The logistics of a trade could prove complicated due to the matter of matching salaries, but any combination of Eason, Sheppard, and Smith would push the Celtics forward.
Eason and Smith are tremendous defensive forwards with room to grow on both ends of the floor. They could instantly enter the starting lineup and provide support to Brown and, once he's healthy, Tatum as something of a defensive force with the offensive versatility to fill multiple roles.
Sheppard is coming off of a tough rookie season in which minutes were difficult to come by, but he's an explosive athlete with active hands on defense who posted elite efficiency as a shooter in college.
In many respects, the Celtics are uniquely qualified to incorporate Sheppard into their rotation as a defensive specialist and floor-spacer who can slowly develop the rest of his game. Eason, Smith, and whoever else Boston targets, meanwhile, could solidify the frontcourt and alleviate pressure from the offensive stars.
It's unclear if the Celtics would agree to anything the Rockets can offer, but it's a conversation that will likely be held if Houston still needs a point guard and Boston is trending downward.