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It’s no secret that the Boston Celtics are short on wing depth this season. It’s also no secret that Jae Crowder, a former TD Garden fan favorite is currently available via trade.
Yet, while there hasn’t been much talk of Boston entering into negotiations with the Phoenix Suns, there are apparently some interested glances coming in the opposite direction. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Suns have shown a passing interest in Derrick White, who joined Boston in a February trade with the San Antonio Spurs.
“And it’s believed the Suns have an interest in Derrick White. However, Boston just sent a first-round pick plus a future pick swap to San Antonio for his services in February. The Celtics aren’t involved in Crowder’s trade situation at this time either, sources said,” Fischer wrote on October 12.
White struggled to acclimate himself with his new teammates following his move to Boston, but became an integral part of the team’s rotation during their run to the NBA Finals, playing in 23 post-season games and averaging 8.5 points, 2.7 assists, and three rebounds per contest while shooting 31.3% from deep and 40.9% from two-point range.
Proposed Trade Sends Crowder to Boston
On October 10, Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky wrote an article that postulated a potential deal between Boston and Phoenix – one that would send Crowder back to his old team.
The trade looks like this:
Celtics Get: Jae Crowder
Suns Get: Payton Pritchard and Danilo Gallinari
“With Danilo Gallinari unlikely to play this season due to a torn ACL, Boston could offer him and his $6.5 million salary, along with Payton Pritchard, to Phoenix and see if the Suns bite. Phoenix already has Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet coming off the bench, but there’s a case for Pritchard being better than both,” Krivitsky wrote.
However, with Phoenix now being reported to have interest in White, a deal is starting to look increasingly possible, although, there’s no guarantee that Boston would be willing to enter into negotiations, or that Crowder could provide enough of an impact to improve the team’s bench unit.
Malcolm Brogdon Heaps Praise on Marcus Smart
Unfortunately for White, his role within the Celtics rotation is currently under a little bit of strain following Boston’s acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon earlier in the summer. Sure, White has started alongside Marcus Smart during pre-season, but there’s still the question of how the rotation looks once Robert Williams returns from injury.
However, one guard who doesn’t need to worry about being usurped is Marcus Smart – Boston’s starting point guard and emotional leader. Speaking to the media following an October 12 practice session, Brogdon took a moment to heap praise onto Smart, and noted how his leadership skills are exactly what he was hoping for when he got traded to the team.
“He’s a great guy. Always as spirited. Always as positive. Always willing to hold guys accountable. He’s the leader and the type of point guard you want for a team like this. To be able to work with him and play with him, it’s going to be great,” Brogdon said.
Luckily for White, Brogdon joined the Celtics with the intention of occupying a sixth-man role – so he has no reason to worry about his starting spot in the immediate future. Although, when it comes to NBA rotations, nothing is ever set in stone.
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