Derrick White Talks 'Tough' Celtics Offseason, Wasn't 'Too Worried' About Being Traded

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White says it has been "tough" to watch members of the 2024 championship roster like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kornet depart this offseason.

Holiday was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, Porziņģis was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks and Kornet signed with the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent in what general manager Brad Stevens said on Wednesday was part of the franchise's efforts to stay below the punitive second apron of the luxury tax.

"It's always tough to see guys leave, especially people that you won a championship with and had so many great battles with," White told NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg at the 3:50 mark of the Celtics Talk Podcast.

"Obviously, seeing KP and Jrue get traded was tough to see, and then Luke signs somewhere else. Having a different team, and having those guys leave, is kind of difficult. But it's part of the business."

Despite the turnover from the championship roster and Stevens' aim to shed salary in the light of the Achilles injury that could keep Jayson Tatum on the sideline next season, White told Forsberg he wasn't "too worried" about the possibility he would be traded this offseason.

White is heading into the first year of the four-year, $118 million extension he signed with the Celtics ahead of the 2024-25 season. With Holiday and Porziņģis off the roster, that deal will make him the third-highest paid player in Boston behind Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"Every summer is pretty crazy, especially nowadays, but I didn't feel too worried about anything," White told Forsberg. "My agent and Brad have been talking, and all the other rumors and stuff, I wasn't really too worried about. I feel like it's cool to be wanted by other teams, but I wanted to stay in Boston, and I was glad they wanted to keep me."

When asked what he believed the Celtics' minimum price to trade him would have been, White laughed and answered, "I don't know. They don't go through me on those questions, but obviously it hasn't been found yet."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said ahead of the 2025 NBA draft multiple teams with top-10 picks had been making offers for White and Jaylen Brown.

NBA insider Jake Fischer then reported that the Celtics had told at least one team it was seeking a "'Mikal Bridges-type' package" in order to consider moving White.

The Brooklyn Nets received four unprotected first-round picks including 2025 draft selection Ben Saraf, in addition to a top-four protected pick in 2025 and a 2028 pick swap, by sending Bridges to the New York Knicks last summer.

That high of an asking price could be seen as a sign the Celtics weren't expecting to seriously consider trading White this season. Assistant general manager Mike Zarren said on June 26 that "there hasn't been anything close to seriously trading" either White or Brown, per The Athletic's Jared Weiss.

For now, White and Brown are set to continue anchoring the Celtics' roster as the remaining roster braces to begin the season without Tatum.