If the Boston Celtics are going to make a move ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline on Thu., Feb. 9, it sounds like reserve guard Derrick White is not likely going to be among the players on the move in any deal barring a big surprise. Per CelticsBlog’s Keith Smith, the Celtics have asked about the Colorado native’s availability in a trade “only to be shut down.”
“We thought with all their guard depth, that White might be available,” shared one unnamed source from a rival team. “He’s not untouchable, but they would need more than what they gave up to get him.”
“White has a ton of value, because he can play both guard spots, on- and off-ball and he can defend most small forwards too,” said another source, noting that, “for Boston, he fills in for (Marcus) Smart and (Malcolm) Brogdon, who both get hurt a lot. They’ve set a price no one is going to meet.”
We’re taking the temperature on the most recent rumbles on what we’re hearing about Boston’s trade plans. https://t.co/sZBvH5rQ0H
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 7, 2023
The teams which reportedly asked after White include the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets, with Boston seeking at least a first round pick and win-now players in return.
Based on the best current reporting and projections of what Boston might do, it seems far more likely that the Celtics make a few moves around the margins to consolidate talent among players getting little to no playing time of late.
Check out the rest of the article for all sorts of rumbles about Boston at the deadline here.
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