Rumors suggest the Boston Celtics may be open to making some splashy transactions this summer, but there’s one role player who appears to have more favorable odds of staying put when compared to some of his fellow teammates.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, opposing ball clubs are under the impression that Derrick White is “the least likely of Boston’s guards to be moved this offseason.”
“The Celtics have quite an obvious roster crunch in their backcourt, with four players in Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard who could rarely all find consistent minutes this season,” Fischer wrote. “Boston is considered active in pre-draft trade talks by rival front offices — as MassLive has reported — and the Celtics are evaluating trade avenues to upgrade a thinner frontcourt, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and could very well lose a valuable piece in Grant Williams as a restricted free agent this summer.
Since arriving in Boston at the 2022 trade deadline, Derrick White has proven to be a tremendous contributor within the club’s rotation. Throughout his tenure with the Celtics, the veteran guard finds himself sporting per-game averages of 12.1 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and just shy of a block while shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.5% from deep.
He would go on to up his productivity during the club’s latest postseason, as he posted 13.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 50.5% from the field and 45.5% from deep through 20 games played.
Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard Potential Trade Assets
Derrick White may be viewed as the least likely of the club’s four main guard talents to be dealt away this summer, but Jake Fischer noted that Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard are the two that are considered to be the most likely to be offloaded.
“Of the four Celtics guards, Brogdon’s name has been mentioned the most among league executives this past week, although Phoenix has so far been the only team cited by several NBA voices as a suitor to have interest in the Sixth Man of the Year. Pritchard seems like another strong trade candidate for Boston. As the third-year guard becomes extension eligible entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract, Pritchard has communicated an openness to be traded this summer, as first reported by The Athletic,” Fischer wrote.
The Celtics are contemplating the possibility of dealing one of their guards, per @MassLiveBoston
Prior to the Bradley Beal trade, reports were circulating suggesting that the Phoenix Suns had interest in pursuing a deal for reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon while it was announced earlier this offseason that Payton Pritchard is seeking a trade out of Boston in an effort to secure a larger role within a rotation.
Teams who could be interested in pursuing Pritchard this summer include the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, according to an anonymous league executive who spoke to Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney.
Celtics Have Lacking Interest in Deandre Ayton
Though Jake Fischer noted that the Boston Celtics are looking to upgrade their frontcourt rotation this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive recently revealed that despite his availability, they have little interest in pursuing the likes of Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton.
“The Celtics have no interest in an Ayton deal, per a league source, due to his pricy contract, so any scenario that involves Brogdon going to Phoenix now is dead without a third team getting involved. Phoenix could involve moving Ayton elsewhere but don’t look for Boston to get involved unless Ayton’s going to a different team.”
Suns Receiving More Trade Calls On Deandre Ayton Following Bradley Beal Deal
Attached to a four-year, $132 million deal, Deandre Ayton is coming off a 2022-23 campaign where he posted per-game averages of 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and just shy of a block while shooting 58.9% from the field.
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Lone Celtics Guard Deemed ‘Least Likely’ to be Traded