Warriors Urged to Trade for All-Defensive Guard to Help Steph Curry
If the Golden State Warriors are serious about making one final championship push in the twilight of Stephen Curry’s career, they may need to fix the one weakness that continues to hold them back.
Head coach Steve Kerr has rotated Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and Buddy Hield alongside Curry in the backcourt to open the season. But according to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, there’s one ideal trade target who could immediately elevate Golden State’s two-way potential: Derrick White of the Boston Celtics.
“At 31, Derrick White isn’t exactly young anymore but would look like a spring chicken alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford on these Golden State Warriors,” Swartz wrote.
Derrick White Seen as Ideal Defensive Partner for Curry
Swartz argued that White’s two-way ability is the perfect complement for the 38-year-old Curry, whose defensive intensity naturally can’t match his prime years.
“White would also be the perfect backcourt partner for a 38-year-old Curry who probably isn’t going to be giving All-Defensive efforts on a nightly basis at this stage of his career,” Swartz added.
A two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, White remains one of the league’s most versatile guards — capable of defending multiple positions and protecting the rim at an elite level. Swartz called him “perhaps the best shot-blocking guard we’ve seen since Dwyane Wade.”
In addition to defense, White brings efficient playmaking, three-point shooting, and championship experience — all invaluable traits for a Warriors team looking to squeeze out another deep playoff run from its veteran core.
White’s Role in Boston Could Be in Flux Amid Slow Start
White has started the new season averaging 20.0 points per game, but his efficiency has dipped as he’s shouldered a heavier offensive load following injuries to Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and the offseason departures of Al Horford, Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday.
He’s shooting just 31.6% from the field and 29.2% from three, a sharp contrast to the 44.2% overall and 38.4% three-point mark he posted during Boston’s 2024 championship run.
The numbers suggest that White thrives best as a complementary player, not as a primary offensive hub — a role he could seamlessly resume in Golden State next to Curry, Butler and Green and his familiarity with Horford.
Celtics Have Set a High Bar for Trade Offers
Despite trade speculation, Boston has no immediate plans to move White.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Celtics would only consider a blockbuster return, comparable to the five-first-round-pick haul the New York Knicks gave up for Mikal Bridges.
In July, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that multiple teams offered two first-round picks and a swap for White, but Boston turned them down.
Celtics executive Mike Zarren directly addressed rumors involving White and Jaylen Brown, emphasizing both are core pieces of Boston’s roster.
“Those two guys are really, really great NBA players,” Zarren told reporters after the draft. “There hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them.”
Why the Warriors Should Still Be Watching
If the Celtics continue to struggle, that could change — and the Warriors are one of the few teams equipped to pounce.
Golden State owns up to four tradable first-round picks and several matching contracts, including Jonathan Kuminga’s.
Kuminga, who re-signed on a two-year, $48.5 million deal with a team option, has been excellent early — averaging 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on 55.2% shooting and 50% from deep.
Still, if the Warriors see White as the missing piece to reignite their championship window, the front office may face a difficult decision: keep building around Kuminga’s growth — or trade for the two-way guard who could maximize Curry’s remaining prime.
Kaitlyn Bristowe Lauds Taylor Frankie Paul “Bachelorette” News: 'This Will Bring Me Back In' (Exclusive)
NEED TO KNOW
-
Former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe says she is looking forward to the show's next season due to the casting of Taylor Frankie Paul
-
Speaking to PEOPLE, Bristowe said Taylor Frankie Paul is the right choice to take the franchise in a new direction
-
"I think now I won't be the only messy Bachelorette, and I am here for that because I'm like, I just want to encourage her," Bristowe joked
![]()
Kaitlyn Bristowe says ABC's choice to lead the next season of The Bachelorette is "refreshing."
Speaking to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the LadyWorld Festival in Miramar Beach, Fla., 40-year-old Bristowe said the show made a great decision in casting its next lead,
Paul — who has been part of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives since 2024 — was announced as the next lead on the ABC dating show earlier this month. In response to the casting news, the
"I don't think she needs encouragement actually," Bristowe, who led
"She is not pretending to be anything else but herself and I think that's so refreshing, especially on reality TV," she added.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Bristowe also noted that she isn't sure whether Paul's background in reality television will help or hurt her come Bachelorette time, saying "when you see how the sausage is made, you overthink things."
Still, she hopes Paul can "surrender to the process."
"I actually think this is so beautiful because so many people are going on this show to get an Instagram following," Bristowe said, noting that Paul doesn't need that.
"She has set it up like, what you see is what you get," she explained. "You're walking into my faith or my three children and this life that I live that's fully on camera, and I think the guys are going to go in with a little more intention than they would on other seasons."
Bristowe further added that The Bachelor franchise was, for years, tied to fantasy. Paul's casting means the show might show a more realistic look at relationships.
Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty
"I think we all watched The Bachelor for the fantasy of it, but now we've seen that for so long and the format got a little stale and we know what's coming — we know the drama is coming, people aren't here for the right reasons, we're not here to make friends," she said. "I think [Paul is] gonna be a little more raw and real. And I'm I'm here for that."
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Bristowe said she believes Paul will also "have the backbone also to say what she wants with producers — instead of being like, 'Well, I've never done this before,' she could be like, 'I know what I'm doing and this is what I want.' "
"I feel like she's gonna be very refreshing," she said. "I would honestly say that this will bring me back in [to watching the show]."
Another former Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay
"I'm thrilled," Lindsay, 40, said. "I'm a fan of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. And I've been saying there needs to be change. I've been asking for change in a particular way. It has happened, but not fully, but I think that this is the show trying to step into 2025. They've been stuck in 2002 for the longest time, and this is a really beautiful way, I think, for them to do it, and I'm very excited for what's to come, and I think it's a new day."
Read the original article on People
