Woj: Celtics' Derrick White a 'Prominent Replacement Candidate' for US Olympic Roster
Boston Celtics point guard Derrick White is reportedly a strong candidate to be a replacement if Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard is unable to play on USA Basketball's summer Olympic roster, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
"I'm told that Derrick White will be a prominent replacement candidate for USA Basketball's summer Olympic roster if the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard is not able to fully rehab back that knee injury that ended his playoff season prematurely," Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown on Friday. "That's certainly something USA Basketball is monitoring."
White had one of the best seasons of his career this year, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He and the Celtics will look to complete the sweep of the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA Finals on Friday.
Leonard missed the last eight games of the regular season before missing four games of the Clippers' first-round series against the Mavericks while dealing with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.
The 32-year-old played 68 regular season games this year, the most for him since the 2016-17 season, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
While Team USA hopes the six-time All-Star will be ready to go for the Olympics in late July, White seems like a fitting replacement for Leonard. White wouldn't replace Leonard's size, but his elite defense would be highly valuable for the team.
White averaged 1.2 blocks and a steal per game this year, landing on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for a second straight season.
If White does end up replacing Leonard, he will join his Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, each of whom was selected for the original Team USA roster.
