Celtics Trade Rumors: Raptors' No. 9 Pick Offer for Derrick White Was Brutally Shot Down by Brad Stevens

The Boston Celtics received several calls on Derrick White leading up to the 2025 NBA draft. The Toronto Raptors were among the teams to reach out to the 2024 champions. Insider Zach Lowe confirmed the Canadian franchise's interest in White on Saturday.

The Raptors had the No. 9 pick in the draft, which they were willing to offload for White. However, the Celtics brutally shot down that trade. Lowe revealed the C's disrespectful answer to the Raptors in the process, saying (h/t NBA Retweet on X):

"There were reports that the Raptors offered the No. 9 pick for Derrick White. I’m told that’s true… Boston laughed at that offer and said, ‘We need way more than No. 9 for Derrick White.’"

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Zach Lowe on the Raptors offer for Derrick White:

“There were reports that the Raptors offered the No. 9 pick for Derrick White. I’m told that’s true… Boston laughed at that offer and said, ‘We need way more than No. 9 for Derrick White.’”

per

@ZachLowe_NBA

The Raptors kept the pick and selected Collin Murray-Boyles. On the other hand, the Celtics didn't engage in trades for Derrick White. According to the latest rumors reported by insider Jake Fischer, the Celtics want a Mikal Bridges-like offer for their top-tier role player.

Bridges' deal was majorly centered around draft capital, with the Nets taking on rather unwanted contracts of Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton and Mamadi Diakite. The Knicks offloaded four unprotected first-round picks, one unprotected swap, one top-four protected pick and one second-round pick.

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Celtics VP shoots down idea of trading Derrick White

The Boston Celtics are not actively looking to ship Derrick White despite NBA trade rumors suggesting otherwise. The Celtics have hit the reset button and moved on from Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, saving $180 million in taxes. It was their primary goal this offseason.

Boston remains motivated to make more such adjustments and create flexibility, but it seems unlikely that a White trade will make that happen. Celtics VP Mike Zarren's comments from Thursday summed up Boston's stance.

"There hasn’t been anything close about them [Jaylen Brown and Derrick White] getting traded," Zarren said. "I’m not sure where this reporting came from."

Derrick White was one of the key players in the Boston Celtics' turnaround during the 2021-22 season when they returned to the NBA Finals for the first time after 2010. He's made a name for himself as one of the best role players in the league since then.

The Celtics offered him a four-year $118 million extension in 2024 after they won their 18th NBA title. He's under contract for three more years, so Boston doesn't have an urgency to trade him, unless someone makes an offer it can't refuse.