NBA Rumors: Could Warriors Have Interest In Celtics’ Derrick White?

The offseason has barely started, but the Celtics are already knee-deep in speculation.

After falling to the New York Knicks in the second round, Boston heads into a summer full of difficult decisions, and a bloated payroll that demands action.

To avoid the harshest penalties tied to the second apron of the luxury tax, the Celtics may need to trim more than $20 million, forcing them to take a hard look at their core.

With the team projected to be more than $20 million over the second apron of the luxury tax, league insiders say Boston may have no choice but to shed significant salary. One name floating to the top of the rumor mill: Derrick White.

The 29-year-old guard, often considered the Celtics’ third-most important player behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, was recently linked to the Golden State Warriors by The Ringer’s Logan Murdoch, who noted White’s poise and defense as a potential fit for a younger Warriors squad.

“That’s somebody who can play defense, can settle everyone down,” Murdoch said on The Lowe Post podcast with ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “I think that’s something the Warriors are looking at right now.”

Lowe, for his part, didn’t dismiss the possibility, while acknowledging how painful a move like that would be for Boston.

“I’ve talked about how depressing trading Derrick White would be for Boston,” Lowe said. “It’s a dilemma in terms of, ‘How much of a reset do we want to have while Tatum is out?’”

Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles injury could linger well into the 2025-26 season, which makes White’s presence even more vital in the interim. But with a $28.1 million cap hit next season, his contract may be too rich to ignore.

Boston does have other options. League sources tell longtime NBA insider Marc Stein the Celtics are “more apt” to explore a Jrue Holiday trade than deal White, and that Kristaps Porzingis — who’s on an expiring contract — is considered Boston’s “most movable vet.”

As for Golden State, potential trade constructions aren’t exactly inspiring, at least not from Boston’s perspective. A package of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski could get the salaries close, but may not move the needle for the Celtics.

Another possibility could be a sign-and-trade involving Jonathan Kuminga, who had a late-season scoring surge for the Warriors but remains an unpolished shooter and missed extended time with an ankle injury.

Boston isn’t in teardown mode, but tough choices are coming. And with the luxury tax breathing down their neck, even steady White may not be safe from the NBA’s business side.