Derrick White could be the odd Boston Celtics guy as his team tries to get the luxury tax.
The Boston Celtics were expected to take a step back, even before the loss of Jason Tatum to an Achilles injury for the majority of next season.
Between Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Julholiday, Derrick White and Christapsporzingis, Boston boasts the most expensive roster in the NBA.
With stars down for most of next season, Boston is expected to separate at least one key player and ways to cut pay. White could be their best trade candidate, with three teams being named as potential landing spots.
Besides the Los Angeles Clippers, three teams listed as Derrick White’s suitors can use defensive help.
The Dallas Mavericks are working on building defensive identities, and the core of White, Cooper Flag and Anthony Davis will certainly put them in the right direction.
However, if the Celtics make white available, expect something more than Dallas will make the call.
“We both like Dallas,” he said. CBS’s Sam Quinn. “I think the Clippers make a lot of sense.
“How about Derrick White’s Austin Reeves?” he adds, referring to the La Lakers’ potential move.
In a possible transaction, Boston’s main goal is to cut costs. The Clippers provided Bogdan Bogdanovic, Drew Eubanks and draft capital to save Boston eight million next season.
The Lakers were able to offer Austin Reeves a deal, as Quinn pointed out, but it’s difficult for the Celtics to build a trade that saves money.
Between Klay Thompson, Brandon Williams and Caleb Martin, the Mavericks can match White’s pay, like the Lakers, but they won’t be able to save Boston with cash next season.
Holiday, Porzingis, Luke Cornett and Sam Hauser are also viable trade candidates, looking more realistic than White.
Aside from the extremely shocking moves, the Celtics will remain at the heart of Tatum and Brown in Boston. Both have contracts for at least the next four years, and unlike Holiday and Porzingis, White has four seasons on his contract and Fits to the Boston timeline.
If the Celtics get older while Tatum is recovering, White is the only member of the core and, together with Brown, can reasonably be expected to maintain the elite at both ends of the ball after the gap year is over.
White is worth more than Holiday and Porzingis, but Boston is again not interested in draft picks or adding stars. They simply want to cut their pay.
Holiday and Porzingis will make more than the white next season. Once they cut off connections with any of those players, they have the financial flexibility to advance the elite core around Brown and Tatum.