Derrick White has been integral to the Boston Celtics‘ run to the NBA Finals. The veteran guard was acquired in 2022 and immediately became a core part of the rotation. White was part of former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka’s roster that went to the NBA Finals in 2022. He has continued developing his game and is now a starting guard for Joe Mazzulla, again making it to the NBA Finals.
According to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein, White will likely seek a contract extension from the Celtics this summer. The veteran ball-handler is entering the final year of his current four-year, $70 million deal.
“Keeping his five best players together for the long term is going to get increasingly difficult for (Brad) Stevens and the Celtics after the forthcoming offseason, when (Jayson) Tatum signs his own $315 million contract extension after Brown scored a nearly $290 million extension last summer,” Stein wrote in his latest SteinLine newsletter. “We must also factor in that White, according to league sources, will be seeking a contract extension this summer.”
Brad Stevens will undoubtedly look to tie White down to a new contract. He recently inked Jrue Holiday on a new four-year $135 million deal, and he wants to ensure the best defensive backcourt in the NBA remains intact moving forward.
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White appeared in 73 regular season games for the Celtics this season. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field and 39.6% from 3-point range. He was also named to the All-Defensive Second Team for the second consecutive season.
It will be interesting to see what his next contract will look like. Nevertheless, it’s likely that everyone involved will want to get the negotiations done with as quickly as possible.
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