After a busy offseason period, there are still a few looming decisions on the horizon for the Boston Celtics front office. And although Derrick White still has two years and $70 million remaining on his current deal, the Celtics and White could come to terms on a contract extension between now and the start of the 2023-24 regular season.
Last season White earned an All-NBA Defensive Team nod and was a key part of the team’s success. And Boston’s ownership has signaled a willingness to spend whatever it takes to keep a championship core in the Hub. The additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have made things slightly more complicated, however, although there’s good reason to believe White will remain in Boston for the foreseeable future whether or not he inks a new deal this fall.
In a visit to the “How ‘Bout Them Celtics” podcast, Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer detailed the parameters surrounding a possible White extension.
“Derrick White is assuredly someone that the Celtics front office and coaching staff is very, very high on,” Fischer said.
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“I’m not necessarily sure if the starting lineup that had Jrue Holiday on the bench behind Derrick White, behind Al Horford, was just because Jrue was getting into the swing of things,” Fischer continued. “Clearly, Boston traded two first-round picks and two key rotation players from last year to go get Jrue Holiday. They value him.”
In August, White spoke about a possible extension. This was before Holiday’s arrival, however.
“I love being here in Boston,” White said over the summer. “It would be cool to get an extension. We’ll see what happens during that window, but I’ve loved my time in Boston so far and my focus right now is just on the season.”
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 13, 2023
White is a big part of Boston’s present and likely will figure into the team’s future as well. Adding Holiday shouldn’t undermine what White brings to the club.
“But that’s not to mean they value Jrue Holiday more than Derrick White,” Fischer added.
A contract extension for Jayson Tatum could also be in the works in the next few months for the Celtics. Keeping this team together in its current form will be expensive no matter how you slice it.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 13, 2023
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
