The Boston Celtics will head into the offseason armed with the mid-level exception, worth $15,049,000.
Brad Stevens will undoubtedly be looking to strengthen multiple areas of Boston’s roster during the summer. It became clear that the team is nowhere near the level of a championship contender during their 3-4 series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of the playoffs.
According to Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston, one player Boston could pursue with the MLE is Coby White. The former seventh overall draft pick from 2019 has emerged as a reliable scoring option in recent years and recently impressed during his short spell with the Charlotte Hornets.
In 50 games last season, split between the Chicago Bulls and Hornets, White averaged 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He shot 53.4% from two-point range and 36.2% from deep.
“White is a prime candidate for the $15M MLE after a solid season split between the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets,” Leger wrote. “White excelled as a sixth man in Charlotte, where he averaged 15.6 points and shot 39.1 percent from beyond the arc in 19.3 minutes per game.”
Leger continued.
“Assuming the Celtics keep Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, White would play a similar role as a spark off Boston’s bench. Perhaps he’d be redundant with Payton Pritchard in the fold, but Boston could use another impactful guard, and White would give the C’s another consistent scoring option when superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need a breather.”
White would help fill the gap that Anfernee Simons left behind when he was traded to the Bulls for Nikola Vucevic at the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Celtics Urged To Trade For Giannis Antetokounmpo
Outside of free agency moves, Boston is also expected to be active in the trade market. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the player most frequently linked with a potential move to Boston in recent weeks.
In fact, former Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins believes Stevens should go all-in for the two-time MVP.
“If I’m the Boston Celtics, I’m picking up the phone,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today on Monday. “Who don’t want to see Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo together? They might have to give up Jaylen Brown, okay, but damn it, we’re about championships over here in Beantown.”
A pairing of Jayson Tatum and Giannis would undoubtedly elevate the Celtics to a contender status. However, the cost of trading Jaylen Brown would certainly be divisive among the fanbase.
Celtics Need To Make Moves
When addressing the media on Wednesday, May 6, Brad Stevens was honest in his assessment of the team. He admitted that Boston needed to strengthen the current roster.
The Celtics have the MLE, a $27 million traded player exception, the 27th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and some highly tradable contracts. Therefore, there is plenty of options at the team’s disposal.
If Boston does use its TPE or the MLE, it will become hard-capped at the first apron. Stevens may be ok with that for the upcoming season, but it’s still a limitation worth being aware of.
Boston is braced for a busy summer. Adding another scorer like Coby White could make sense. However, fixing the center position should remain the primary focus.
Coby White Named Potential Free Agent Target for Celtics