There's been a lot of change within the Boston Celtics' locker room this summer. But despite all the moving pieces and the uncertainty surrounding the future of this group, it seems abundantly clear that Derrick White is viewed as a foundational piece by the front office.
That's excellent news for Celtics fans for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because of the mass exodus of talent that has already occurred in Boston over the last couple of months. But secondly, because of how talented White is and what he has meant to this organization since he arrived.
As of right now, Jaylen Brown and Derrick are the only two regular starters from last season set to be both on the roster and healthy when opening night comes. Kristaps Porzingis now resides in Atlanta, Jayson Tatum is sidelined until further notice, and Jrue Holiday has effectively been replaced by Anfernee Simons.
With the regular starting group whittled down to just two guys, the Celtics had a choice to make: lean even further into the retooling, or place your faith in the last two core guys still around. It's pretty clear that they're going with the latter option based on the fact that they've rejected some strong offers for the guard.
Derrick White is here to stay with the Celtics
And this approach makes a lot of sense. If you're Boston, you want to try to keep as much framework of your title team around as you can, for as long as possible. One day in the future, Jayson Tatum will suit up wearing number 0 again, and he's going to need not only great supporting players, but ones he's familiar with as well.
From the moment he landed with the Celtics back in 2022, White has been an invaluable contributor to Boston's mission of winning championships. He defends at a high level, hits open shots, and plays with a basketball IQ that not every player can boast. He's proven time and time again what kind of impact he brings on the biggest stage.
That kind of high-level play is going to be key to getting Boston back to title contention once Tatum does come back. And in the meantime, White is certainly going to play a big part in keeping the Celtics competitive in the upcoming season.
The decision between keeping or moving Derrick White was always an easy one, and it feels pretty obvious the team is going to opt to keep him around for the long haul.
