The Boston Celtics have had an interesting season thus far. From multiple seemingly impossible blown leads in fourth quarters to 50 point games from their two stars, and everything in between. The Celtics have shown flashes of elite basketball sprinkled throughout the season, but they struggled to find consistency over an extended period of time. The team has dealt with a ton of injuries to their core players over the last year and a half and Jayson Tatum went through a shooting slump that seemed to last forever, so the team has had its fair share of tribulations over the course of the year. But things started to turn around for Boston in the new year. The team also made some noise at the trade deadline, bringing in Derrick White in a deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
White’s Fit in Boston
The Celtics have really flexed their muscles defensively as of late, and it has led to a record of 13-6 in 2022. In that time, they have held opponents under 100 points 11 times. Derrick White is a great defender in the backcourt and pairing him with Marcus Smart would be suffocating for opposing guards. He is a solid three-point shooter and could benefit from a larger role offensively. It is unclear if White will eventually find himself in a starting role, but he could be a great sixth man if that is the route the Celtics choose to take with him.
Another key part of this move is that Derrick White will be under contract for three more years after 2022. Depending on how he actually fits in with the team, White could be a key part of the Celtics pursuit for banner number 18 for years to come.
Saying Goodbye to Josh Richardson
With every trade, there is always give where there is take. So let’s discuss what the Celtics had to give up for White. The main piece of that trade is Josh Richardson. He was only with the team for half a season, but he was really starting to carve out a role for himself in the rotation. Richardson was one of the better three-point shooters on the team and even has a slightly higher percentage than White. He also had more versatility defensively. At 6’6”, he was able to guard wings fairly well, whereas White’s size may limit him in that respect.
Final Pieces of the Trade
Beyond Richardson, the Celtics also traded away Romeo Langford. Langford is currently in his third season but struggled to really find a rhythm offensively for the Celtics. He has dealt with a lot of injuries which has led to him not finding his way into the normal rotation, but at such a young age, there is a lot of untapped potential in him. The biggest thing the Celtics will miss with Langford gone is depth at the wing position. For all his shortcomings offensively, Langford has been a solid defender for the team. It will be interesting to see what Langford becomes under Gregg Popovich.
The Celtics also had to add a 2022 first-round pick (top four protected) to finalize the deal, but getting a player who averages 14.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game is likely more immediate production than anything Boston would get in the draft. White will play in his first game with the C’s on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets.
Who Won the Trade
It is clear that Richardson was well-received in Boston. Not only by the fans but also by the guys in the locker room. It will be interesting to see how to Celtics combat the lack of depth at the wing position. There is no question that Derrick White and Marcus Smart would be a top-five defensive backcourt in the league, but there is still a question mark offensively. The Celtics sometimes find themselves struggling to score, especially late in games. White will be depended upon to help them prevent that. I do still think that this was a smart move by Boston, and the difference is in the contract that White is on. He is on a very manageable deal, making $70 million between 2022-25. Derrick White could help surge the Celtics back into true contention in the Eastern Conference.
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