Derrick White Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Notes: White, Theis, Roster Openings, Pick Swap

February 11th, 2022 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Friday about the Celtics‘ deadline-day trade for Derrick White, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the team has thought for years that the longtime Spurs guard would fit with Boston’s best players (Twitter link via Keith Smith of Spotrac). Stevens referred to White as a strong defender who also “makes the right play on offense over and over” (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Confirming a previous report that the acquisition of Daniel Theis came together quickly right before the deadline, Stevens said the Celtics were happy to get two players who will be under contract for multiple years to come (Twitter link via Weiss). Both White and Theis are under team control through 2025.

“Neither move was a short-term deal,” Stevens said (Twitter link via Smith). “When trading away two really good perimeter players, we had to get perfect fits. We want to maintain the stretch we’re on, but this is about the long-term. We know these guys can be on the floor in a seven-game playoff series.”

The Celtics’ series of trades opened up five spots on their 15-man roster, so Stevens will remain busy after the deadline as he looks to fill those openings.

According to Weiss (Twitter link), Stevens expects to sign a couple players as soon as today, telling reporters that the front office is looking for “skilled” players, with an eye on outside shooting. He later said during an appearance on the Toucher and Rich radio show in Boston that his immediate focus is on frontcourt players (Twitter link via Weiss).

Here are a few more notes on the Celtics:

The 2028 first-round pick swap the Celtics gave the Spurs in the White deal will be top-one protected, sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive.com (Twitter link). In other words, if Boston gets the No. 1 overall pick in ’28, San Antonio won’t be able to swap first-rounders, but otherwise the Spurs will have that option.
Asked today about the decision to give up a 2028 pick swap in addition to a lightly-protected 2022 first-round pick for White, Stevens acknowledged that risk, but expressed a belief it was worth it. “That can go either way, right? That’s the one you lose sleep over for a couple of days,” Stevens said (Twitter link via Weiss). “But I think the analysis of that is we’ve got some really good players and we’ve got a person who fits in perfectly with them.”
In a story for The Athletic, Weiss and Jay King assessed the Celtics’ deadline moves. Weiss doesn’t think the deals made Boston a legit title contender in the East, but says the gap between the C’s and the East’s top teams has gotten smaller.
In his own breakdown of the Celtics’ trades, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston acknowledges there’s no guarantee the roster changes will make the team better right away, but notes that Stevens has proven he’s certainly not risk-averse in his new front office role.

Celtics Trade Richardson, Langford, First-Round Pick To Spurs For Derrick White

February 10th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Rory Maher

10:11pm: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Celtics. White heads to Boston, while the Spurs acquire Richardson, Langford, the Celtics’ 2022 first-round pick (top-four protected), and the conditional right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028.

12:40pm: The Celtics are trading Josh Richardson to the Spurs in a deal for Derrick White, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that the Celtics are including a first-round pick in the trade. That pick will be Boston’s top-four protected 2022 first-rounder, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

Himmelsbach tweets that Romeo Langford will also be headed to San Antonio. In addition, the Spurs will have the ability swap 2028 first-round picks with Boston, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

White, now in his fifth season, is averaging 14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.9 BPG through 49 games (30.3 MPG). The 27-year-old is also one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders. White’s big weakness is an inconsistent outside shot, shooting just 31.4% from three-point range.

However, he’s a good finisher inside the arc, making 51.9% of his two-pointers and 86.9% of his free throws, both very respectable for a guard. He’s also a heady passer and driver on top of being a premier defender. White’s addition further bolster’s Boston’s third-ranked defense, and the team will become an absolute menace on that end of the court.

White makes $15.2MM this season and is under contract through 2024/25, making him a potentially long-term addition as president Brad Stevens builds the roster around stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston currently sits at 30-25 after winning six straight, No. 7 in the East.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Celtics plan to absorb White’s contract into their Evan Fournier traded player exception, which is worth $17.1MM. Doing so will create a new TPE worth $11.2MM for Richardson. Smith notes that could change, pending other moves, but that’s the plan for now. John Hollinger of The Athletic first reported that creating a new TPE for Richardson was a possibility (via Twitter).

San Antonio obtains a stunning array of assets for White. I value him highly and think the Celtics have improved significantly in the short-term, but they gave up an awful lot to get him. The first-round pick this season is almost certain to convey, and depending on how the rest of this season plays out, there’s even a chance it could be a late lottery pick, although Boston has played outstanding basketball since the start of January. The 2028 pick swap could also be very valuable, but that’s far down the line and foolish to speculate about at this juncture.

Richardson, 28, was in his first season with Boston after being acquired via trade in the offseason. The 40th overall pick of the 2015 draft by Miami, Richardson had been a valuable two-way contributor for the Heat before being traded multiple times the past few years, spending the 2019/20 season with the Sixers and last season with the Mavs. He’d been a bit disappointing for both of those clubs, but is performing well this season, averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .443/.397/.859 shooting in a reserve role (44 games, 24.7 MPG).

San Antonio also gets a buy-low candidate in Langford, the 14th overall pick of the 2019 draft. Still just 22, Langford was a highly touted prospect who struggled to break Boston’s rotation. Now in his third season, he’s averaging 4.7 PPG and 2.4 RPG through 44 games (16.5 MPG). As a third-year former first-round pick, Langford is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spurs take a wait-and-see approach, as they’d still hold his rights as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023.

Atlantic Notes: White, Theis, Durant, Claxton, Knicks

February 10th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics’ flurry of action prior to the trade deadline has left them with a handful of open roster spots. They’ll fill them by signing free agents to 10-day deals in the short term, then explore the buyout market as players become available, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reports.

The trades that they made were done to improve the second unit, Himmelsbach adds. They view Derrick White as an upgrade in a sixth-man role, while Daniel Theis has already shown during his previous stint with the Celtics that he can mesh with this group. That deal with Houston for Theis came together at the last minute, Himmelsbach tweets.

The trades will also open up playing time for Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

How does Kevin Durant feel about the James Harden trade? In a TNT interview (hat tip to the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver), the Nets superstar said, “I’m excited for our team and looking forward to finishing the season out with this new group … The playoffs are right around the corner and we’ve got to fast track and get used to each other. I think everybody got what they wanted.”
The Nets explored trades involving Nic Claxton, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News tweets. Andre Drummond was added in the Harden deal and LaMarcus Aldridge is expected to return in the near future from an ankle sprain. Those developments will presumably eat into Claxton’s playing time.
The Knicks, who didn’t pull off a trade on Thursday, still want to compete for a play-in spot, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. They still believe they made an upgrade in adding Cam Reddish last month, even though coach Tom Thibodeau has played the young wing sparingly, and they’re expected to get Derrick Rose back in action from ankle surgery later this month.

Cavs Notes: LeVert, Trade Talks, Okoro, Draft Pick

February 7th, 2022 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Pacers began to engage in exploratory discussions about Caris LeVert shortly after Ricky Rubio tore his ACL, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes that the Cavs’ deadline priorities likely would’ve looked different if Rubio’s injury hadn’t occurred.

Before officially acquiring LeVert, the Cavaliers looked into a series of other options, per Fedor, inquiring on Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo, Rockets guard Eric Gordon, Spurs guard Derrick White, Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield, and Magic wings Terrence Ross and Gary Harris.

Cleveland didn’t move forward on any of those players for a variety of reasons. For instance, the Bucks didn’t want to help a team they might have to face in the playoffs, while the Cavs didn’t want to part with a first-round pick for Gordon or with a combination of picks and young players for White, says Fedor.

Ultimately, the Cavs decided LeVert was the right fit at the right price, satisfying their goal of improving in the short term without losing sight of their long-term goals. LeVert is only under contract through 2022/23 for now, but if things go well in Cleveland, he could become the next piece of the team’s core, Fedor writes.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Sources tell Fedor that the Cavaliers will continue to seek upgrades around the margins in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline. Cleveland controls San Antonio’s 2022 second-rounder and would prefer to keep it, but that pick has drawn plenty of interest, says Fedor.
The Pacers expressed interest in Isaac Okoro during their negotiations with the Cavaliers, but Cleveland didn’t want to part with the former lottery pick, sources tell Fedor. The Cavs’ willingness to include Houston’s 2022 second-rounder in their package helped bring the deal across the finish line, since that pick was viewed as something close to a first-rounder.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised head of basketball operations Koby Altman for the moves he has made to help turn the Cavs around, as Fedor relays. “When you look at the deals that he’s made, he has made us much better basketball team through his aggressiveness and seeking value where others may not see, but having the idea of how this one impacts the next,” Bickerstaff said. “The proof is there. You look at guys like Jarrett (Allen) and what he’s been able to do for this team and that’s a credit to Koby for making sure we got involved in what Brooklyn was trying to do. It wasn’t just Koby being singularly focused on something. He put himself in position with other teams as well and that speaks to the communication, his reputation, and being able to have those conversations with other teams.”
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and John Hollinger of The Athletic view the LeVert trade as a win-win for the Cavaliers and Pacers, since Cleveland looks like an ideal fit for the swingman and Indiana got a good return for him.
The first-round pick the Cavaliers traded to Indiana in the deal is top-14 protected in 2022 and again in 2023, per RealGM. In the unlikely event that the pick lands in the lottery both years, the Pacers would instead receive Cleveland’s 2025 second-round pick and the Lakers’ 2026 second-rounder.

Lowe’s Latest: White, Murray, Hawks, Grant, Mavs, Magic, More

January 28th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Teams are calling the Spurs to inquire about Derrick White and Dejounte Murray, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast. Murray is having an All-Star caliber season and is under contract for two more years beyond 2021/22, so the cost for him would be extremely high if San Antonio is even willing to consider moving him at all.

“I would assume the Spurs will bat the Murray stuff away,” Lowe acknowledged. “But those are interesting names for teams that need guards.”

Although White is perhaps a more realistic target for teams in the market for backcourt help, the Spurs typically aren’t too active at the trade deadline. The team’s deal sending Bryn Forbes to Denver last week was just the third in-season trade San Antonio has made in the last 10 years — and the other two were very minor.

Here are a few more highlights from Lowe’s latest podcast with ESPN’s Bobby Marks:

Lowe doesn’t view the Hawks as a serious contender to acquire Pistons forward Jerami Grant, at least for now. “They’ve been linked in recent reports to Jerami Grant,” Lowe said of the Hawks. “Personally, I think that’s old intel, based on what I’ve heard, and that they’re not in on Jerami Grant right now. I don’t think a Jerami Grant trade involving John Collins makes much sense because I think John Collins is just better than Jerami Grant.”
Concerns about Jalen Brunson and/or Dorian Finney-Smith leaving Dallas as unrestricted free agents this offseason are legitimate and will have to be taken into account as the Mavericks consider their trade deadline plans, according to Lowe. “I believe the flight risk for both is very, very real — particularly Brunson,” he said.
Both Lowe and Marks are skeptical the Magic will be able to get a significant return in a deal for Terrence Ross or Gary Harris. “If Orlando gets a first(-round pick) for either Ross or Harris, that’s a home run,” Lowe said. “I don’t expect them to be able to get it.”
The Knicks are reportedly open to discussing several veteran players, but it’s one of their young players who is generating more trade interest from rival teams, according to Lowe: “I know the vultures are circling and they’re getting a lot of calls about (Immanuel) Quickley. And I think they’re batting those calls away, as they should, but the vultures are circling and trying to poach somebody from the Knicks, and Quickley’s a name that keeps coming up.”
With the likely exception of Bradley Beal, no one is untouchable on the Wizards‘ roster, according to Lowe, who says Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell are a couple of the names he keeps hearing in trade speculation.
Both Lowe and Marks believe the Sixers are more likely to hang onto Ben Simmons through the trade deadline than to move him by February 10.

Western Trade Rumors: Kings, Pelicans, D. White, Mavs, More

January 27th, 2022 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are still expected to make some sort of major move ahead of this year’s trade deadline in an effort to strengthen their roster for a postseason push, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Sacramento has expressed interest in both Pacers centers, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, but Fischer hears that Indiana’s asking price has been much higher than what teams are willing to give up for either player.

According to Fischer, who says the Pelicans also have interest in Sabonis, Turner is still the more likely trade candidate of the two Indiana centers, but only if the Pacers are willing to drop their asking price a little, since teams are concerned about Turner’s injury recovery timeline and his ability to help a team this season. If the price remains high, Turner may stay in Indiana until the offseason.

One team to watch on the Turner front is the Trail Blazers, who gained some momentum in discussions with the Pacers prior to the big man’s injury, according to Fischer. If Portland is focused more on next season than this season, acquiring Turner would make some sense, but the Blazers still hold a play-in spot in the West, so they probably aren’t prepared to just throw in the towel.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the West:

Kings center Tristan Thompson is considered to be available in exchange for a second-round pick, says Fischer. I’m a little skeptical that Sacramento will be able to get positive value for Thompson by himself.
The Spurs received a call from the Hawks about guard Derrick White, Fischer reports. It doesn’t sound like those discussions gained any traction, but Fischer points out that San Antonio has been viewed since 2020 as a potential suitor for Atlanta big man John Collins.
As previously relayed, rival executives think the Mavericks may trade one of Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith by February 10. Both players will be unrestricted free agents this summer, so there will be nothing stopping them from signing elsewhere, and if the Mavs do re-sign both, they’ll likely be taxpayers. However, Dallas has expressed confidence in its ability to re-sign both players, according to Fischer, who adds that there’s a belief Finney-Smith will seek $15MM annually on his next deal.
The Thunder‘s asking price in any trade for forward Kenrich Williams is believed to be a first-round pick, per Fischer.

COVID-19 Updates: White, Green, McLaughlin, Roby, Azubuike

January 16th, 2022 at 1:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Spurs guard Derrick White exited the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols last night, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). White suited up for San Antonio and logged 25 minutes off the bench in an eventual 101-94 victory over the Clippers on Saturday.

The 6’4″ combo guard out of Colorado shot 7-of-11 from the field and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line for a total of 19 points in the victory. He also chipped in four assists, four rebounds, a steal and three blocks. White is currently averaging 14.6 PPG, 5.4 APG and 3.5 RPG during his sixth NBA season with the 16-27 Spurs.

Here are more COVID-19 updates from around the NBA:

Nuggets reserve power forward JaMychal Green has entered the league’s COVID-19 protocols, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 31-year-old veteran is averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG across 35 contests with the Jazz during the 2021/22 NBA season.
Timberwolves reserve point guard Jordan McLaughlin has entered the league’s coronavirus protocols and will be unavailable for Minnesota ahead of today’s contest against the Warriors, according to Minnesota’s PR team (Twitter link).
Thunder power forward Isaiah Roby has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman (via Twitter). The 6’8″ big man was available to play in yesterday’s 107-102 loss to the Cavaliers, though he was ultimately a DNP – CD.
Jazz center Udoka Azubuike has cleared the protocols, tweets Ryan Miller of KSL.com. The 22-year-old seven-footer has appeared sparingly for Utah thus far this season, suiting up for just six games.

Spurs Sign Anthony Lamb After Four Players Enter Protocols

January 6th, 2022 at 4:27pm CST by Rory Maher

4:27pm: The Lamb signing is official, according to a team press release.

1:32pm: The Spurs plan to sign Anthony Lamb to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception after Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Thaddeus Young and Devin Vassell entered the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News was the first to break the four players entering the COVID-19 protocols (via Twitter). The good news is that Lonnie Walker has cleared the protocols and could return to action Friday against the Sixers, a league source told Orsborn (Twitter link).

Lamb, 23, played in the G League bubble with the Canton Charge and Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2020/21 after going undrafted out of Vermont in 2020. His solid showing for Houston’s G League affiliate (the Vipers) earned him a two-way deal with the Rockets last March. He averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 24 games (17.3 MPG) for Houston, then accepted his two-way qualifying offer this offseason. However, he was waived on October 18 so that the Rockets could claim Garrison Mathews.

Lamb has spent this season playing with the Vipers, putting up 15.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG on .460/.415/.821 shooting in 13 games (10 starts). The Spurs now have five players in the protocols (the fifth being Doug McDermott), and Lamb will be their third 10-day hardship deal, along with Tyler Johnson and Jaylen Morris.

Spurs Notes: White, Young, Three-Point Shooting, COVID Testing

November 30th, 2021 at 8:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said this week that guard Derrick White, in the first year of his new four-year, $68MM contract, is showing significant improvements thanks to his newfound confidence after injuries and the coronavirus derailed his 2020/21 season, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. White, 27, dealt with a toe surgery, an ankle sprain, and a COVID-related absence last year.

“With those injuries, it really wrecked his confidence,” Popovich said of the fifth-year guard. “He had to sit around for a long time. When he came back, he just had no rhythm and wasn’t really confident.”

The 6’4″ White, selected with the No. 29 pick out of Colorado in 2017, is averaging 12.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.4 RPG in 19 games this season.

There’s more out of San Antonio:

New Spurs forward Thaddeus Young spoke with Alex Kennedy of Basketball News on Kennedy’s podcast about his surprise at being traded from the Bulls to the Spurs, as well as several other topics. “Definitely caught me off guard for the simple fact [that]… my agent had just talked to everyone in Chicago, and we were being told that I was coming back,” Young said. “The only thing I had wished was that I had [gotten] the heads-up before [finding out on] social [media].” When asked about how long he hoped to continue playing in the NBA, the 15-year vet remained open-minded. “For me, it’s just a matter of just getting minutes,” Young said. “So far this season I haven’t really played as much as I’ve played in the past, but with the time I have been given I’ve been productive.”
San Antonio continues hoping to improve its three-point shooting, several years removed from the tenure of ex-Spur and three-point specialist Davis Bertans, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. McDonald notes that the Spurs are last in the NBA in triples for the second consecutive season thus far. Having made 9.9 three-pointers per game last season, the Spurs are currently converting even fewer threes than that in 2021/22, at 9.7 a night. “You have to keep up with threes or you are in trouble,” Popovich said. “In today’s game, that’s the deal.”
The Spurs have been receptive to the league’s more frequent COVID-19 testing around the Thanksgiving holiday, writes Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “I don’t want to get my kids sick,” said Spurs shooting guard Bryn Forbes. “I don’t want to get my family sick. I would never want to risk any of their lives or any of their health for anything. I think it’s important we test.” Spurs big man Drew Eubanks echoed these concerns. “I don’t go out too often … trying to wait until things die down a little bit to go shopping and stuff,” Eubanks said of exercising caution due to the ongoing pandemic. “I just got my (COVID) booster (shot) the other day and am just trying to stay up to date on what to do and what the new developments are.”

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Rockets, Spurs, Terry, Grizzlies

July 9th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

People around the NBA believe there’s a good chance the Pelicans will move the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft in a deal that would bring back veteran help, says Zach Harper of The Athletic.

New Orleans already has a young roster and is expected to shop veterans like Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams this offseason in order to create more cap flexibility. Moving Bledsoe and/or Adams would make the roster even younger, perhaps making the Pelicans even less inclined to add another rookie to the mix.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Within his latest mock draft, Harper also says there’s a belief the Rockets have been “fixated” on Cade Cunningham, but are likely unwilling to pay Detroit what it would take to move up to No. 1. Additionally, sources tell Harper that people around the league believe Spurs guards Dejounte Murray and Derrick White could be “gettable” in trades.
Mavericks guard Tyrell Terry was away from the team for nearly two months during his rookie season for personal reasons. Asked this week about that situation, Terry declined to offer any details, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. “I had something to deal with personally that I needed to take care of in order for me to come back and be the best version of myself,” Terry said. “The Mavericks were very helpful and supportive in that time.”
The Grizzlies could have between $20-25MM in cap room this offseason. With that in mind, Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal considers which veteran free agents might make sense as targets for the team.