Celtics' Derrick White Will Start at PG After Marcus Smart Trade, Joe Mazzulla Says

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that Derrick White will be the team's starting point guard this season.

Mazzulla relayed the news at a Wednesday press conference where Jaylen Brown publicly signed his five-year, $304 million supermax extension.

White will take over for Marcus Smart, who spent nine years in Boston before the team traded him this summer to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porziņģis into town.

The 29-year-old White is entering his third season with the C's after four-plus campaigns with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 12.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game last year.

White had some big games and moments during the playoffs, none more important than his buzzer-beating tip-in to ward off elimination in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. He also dominated the Atlanta Hawks in the first round by averaging 17.3 points on 55.7 percent shooting.

Now he'll be tasked with helping lead a Celtics team that once again will have preseason championship aspirations.

Although those expectations are heavy for the new starting point guard, it won't be incumbent on White to carry the team's offensive burdens every night.

With Brown back in the mix, Jayson Tatum still aboard and Porziņģis now in town as well, the Celtics have three players easily capable of scoring 25 or more a game.

That's all in addition to a deep rotation that includes veterans Al Horford and Malcolm Brogdon and a defensive star big man in Robert Williams III.

In other words, White should have plenty of support as the Celtics look to finally become NBA champions after knocking on the door for the better part of the last decade.