The NBA rumor mill is buzzing, and the latest bombshell has the Boston Celtics at its epicenter. According to Zach Lowe, the former ESPN reporter who recently returned to the sports media scene with his Zach Lowe Show, the Toronto Raptors made a bold move to acquire Celtics guard Derrick White. The offer? The No. 9 draft pick. The Celtics’ response? A resounding laugh and a firm, “We need way more than that!”
Lowe dropped this juicy tidbit during a solo podcast episode, revealing that the Raptors’ offer came about a month and a half ago, shortly after Boston’s playoff dreams were shattered in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The injury to superstar Jayson Tatum, which sidelined him for the upcoming season, left the Celtics scrambling to retool their roster. With financial pressures mounting and White’s sizable contract on the books, the versatile guard has become a hot commodity in trade talks.
White, a high-leverage role player, is the kind of talent every contending team covets. He’s a defensive dynamo, capable of creating turnovers, knocking down shots, and handling the ball with poise. Last season, he averaged an impressive 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, while also contributing a steal and a block per night. His ability to shine alongside Tatum and Jaylen Brown has made him a cornerstone of Boston’s championship-caliber core.
Despite shedding the contracts of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to navigate the NBA’s first apron and ease payroll concerns, the Celtics view White as untouchable. Trading him could replenish Boston’s depleted asset pool, but his fit with the team’s foundation is undeniable. Now in his fourth season with the Celtics, White has proven he’s a key piece of a title-winning puzzle.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens seems to agree. “We’ll do our best to put the right group together,” Stevens said, emphasizing the team’s commitment to building around their core. “We’ve got the foundation, obviously, with Jaylen and Jayson [Tatum] and D-White and Payton [Pritchard] and all those guys that a lot of teams would love to have.”
The Raptors’ No. 9 pick might have been a tempting starting point, but for a player of White’s caliber, Boston’s front office clearly believes it’s not even close to enough. As the Celtics gear up for a challenging season without Tatum, it’s clear they’re not ready to part ways with their do-it-all guard. The trade rumor may have fizzled, but it’s a reminder of just how valuable Derrick White is to Boston’s championship aspirations.