Celtics Send Message to Derrick White Amid Trade Rumors
Celtics Send Message to Derrick White Amid Trade Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White delivered a standout 2024-25 season averaging 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 44.2% overall and 38.4% from 3-point range. His improved shooting volume and elite two-way play made him one of the driving forces behind Boston's title defense efforts. He also set a Celtics single-season record for made threes and ranked third in the NBA for blocks by a guard.
Advertisement
Over time, White has endeared himself to Celtics fans, becoming a reliable glue-guy and crowd favorite. His clutch shooting, lockdown perimeter defense, and gritty play—especially in high-stakes moments—have made him a beloved part of the TD Garden culture.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9).© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Despite his importance on the court, trade rumors have persisted. Reports have linked White to potential moves involving the Golden State Warriors (via Logan Murdock of the Ringer), and last week, ESPN's Shams Charania (via the Pat McAfee show) reported that teams have been making calls for both White and Jaylen Brown, although the Celtics prefer not to trade both players.
Amid these speculations, the Celtics posted a one-minute highlight reel on social media celebrating White's impressive season, with a clear caption:
Advertisement
'Most underrated player in the whole LEAGUE 😤'
This gesture by the Celtics perhaps serves as a subtle reminder of his value to the team and the message Boston wants to send.
While whispers persist about a possible trade, it appears more likely that White will remain in Boston. With Jayson Tatum sidelined for the coming season, White will be asked to carry more responsibility on offense alongside Jaylen Brown.
Related: Celtics Turn Heads With Jayson Tatum Announcement on Monday
Related: Kristaps Porzingis Named in Celtics-Suns Trade Report After Kevin Durant News
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
12 minutes ago
- New York Times
Bengals offseason debriefing: How OTAs, minicamp changed the season outlook
The vast majority of attention surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals over the past five months has come off the field. Understandable, from massive contracts for Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase to the best defensive player and first-round pick both taking shots at the organization while standing on team turf. Advertisement That's before even opening the Pandora's Box that is the Paycor Stadium lease. All those spicy topics can be tabled for today. The Bengals just concluded their offseason program with last week's minicamp. Players and coaches return for the opening of camp in late July. Although the Bengals maintain one of the lighter offseason programs in the league, there was a notable uptick in tempo and intensity during seven-on-seven this year, with plenty of room for players to alter their outlook on 2025. Here are the most important trends seen, heard and observed during my time monitoring the team on the field over the last two months. Outside of the ongoing Trey Hendrickson saga, all of Joe Burrow's public requests of the front office have now been met. He got his way with Higgins and Chase both in Cincinnati and happy. As is Mike Gesicki. Continuity with offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher in his second year set this team up for immediate success. More than any of those factors, though, Burrow looks undeniably dialed in. He ripped a pass down the middle of the field to Andrei Iosivas during seven-on-seven that buzzed between two defenders and over a linebacker. It was nearly identical to a throw he made to Iosivas against Carolina last year. This was midseason form stuff. Go long Yosh.@JoeyB x @AndreiIosivas — Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) June 11, 2025 Take the pre-existing chemistry with all his weapons, Burrow's drive and emphasis on starting faster and pushing that organizational focus, plus currently enjoying a healthy summer, and you have a recipe for him to finally start fast. Injuries and recoveries have played a large role in past struggles in the first two weeks of the season for Burrow and the Bengals offense, leading to a 1-7 record over that span. Getting to Week 1 without issue will have Bengals fans knocking wood all over the city between now and Sept. 10, but for today, Burrow is in an ideal spot to pick up where he left off. Advertisement Typically, when Burrow puts a change for the season on his agenda, he's enjoyed success. There have been years in which he has worked on more efficient checkdowns. One year, he wanted to use his legs more. He's added weight. Last year saw the growth of playmaking in the pocket. This year, so much of his language has been about putting it on himself to have a faster start. 'We've got to go out and play better early in the season, and that's on us,' Burrow said. 'We'll take ownership of that. You know, I think we're going to have a plan coming into training camp that'll help with that and get us a little more ready. But at the end of the day, it's on us come week one.' If picking one winner from the rookie class, linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. would be running away with the title. The 24-year-old second-round pick opened eyes across the locker room with how quickly he blended in and became a stabilizing force next to Logan Wilson. The Bengals have him starting, and his leadership as a more mature player entering the league was exactly what the defense sought. He's been used in different spots — blitzing off the edge, stacking behind the line — in any way defensive coordinator Al Golden has wanted to tinker. Golden sought versatility from the position and Knight is bringing it. 'Just consistent energy,' Golden said. 'I love his approach to the game. He makes everybody around him better. He's a live wire. He just enjoys the game, and he's got a grateful heart.' It was even mentioned in the locker room how Knight already feels like a leader of this defense for the next generation. His maturity and drive make it like the Bengals added a linebacker in free agency instead of the draft. That's a large reason why they had him valued much higher than the public perception. Advertisement The summer of Shemar Stewart has been well-documented. His stalemate with ownership became a volatile national storyline. There's no direct blame on Stewart, a 21-year-old, for fully understanding the issues that have transpired on the business side, but the handling of the situation on the whole left an impression. His verbal bombardment of team brass before even taking a snap left a relevant question about who the Bengals acquired with this pick and how much maturing is necessary to reach his potential. Meanwhile, Golden was notably forceful in his language surrounding 2023 first-round edge Myles Murphy. 'I think it's time, right?' Golden said. On a day when Golden praised players up and down the depth chart, the tone was notably different for Murphy, who is expected to soak up the majority of the opportunity on the edge, likely opposite Hendrickson, if he returns. Behind those two, there was excitement about Joseph Ossai, who picked up five sacks in the final seven games of last season. Also, Cam Sample, who missed last season with an Achilles injury, impressed with how well he's returned and could end up a key rotational piece to fill in gaps up and down the line. Another name of note, further under the radar, is 2024 sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson. He found himself in regular rotations and has received praise from different corners of the building throughout the offseason program. He's the only edge who fits the speed rusher profile at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, and could find a subpackage role because of it. Much was made entering last season about the significant jump expected from defensive backs who have been forced into key roles, enduring growing pains in 2023 and expecting breakouts in 2024. They are still waiting and counting on that group, but the Bengals are believing once again that the theory could help solve the most volatile position group on the team. Advertisement Josh Newton, a fifth-round pick last year, impressed despite his rookie mistakes. Coaches love his leadership and how seriously he takes the game. He's constantly mentioned as one of the players standing out this spring. Newton could take over Mike Hilton's role in the slot. That depends on where Dax Hill lands in his return from a torn ACL. Hill said he expects to be fully cleared in training camp, but his role and how long it takes to return to full speed are still unknown. Plus, Golden is using all his corners across different spots, inside and out. Look for that to continue in August. But don't sleep on Newton. He will play meaningful defensive snaps this season if trends of the last two months are any indication. A focus on building good vibes and team chemistry early played out weekly. There were more team meetings than in past years and more opportunities for players to get to the front of the room and tell their stories, or to lead football topics. This comes as a direct result of a team that felt disconnected at times last year and battled the bad vibes of off-field distractions throughout the preparation process. Head coach Zac Taylor also made the most drastic overhaul of his training camp approach yet. Taylor rearranged practice times to be in the morning, opted not to participate in joint practices and plans to play starters much more in preseason games. He also pulled back on the number of public practices, keeping things private once the preseason weeks begin. Players hoping to avoid the afternoon heat and post-lunch malaise appreciated the move to the morning. Taylor allowing starters to play in multiple preseason games shows a major shift in giving his team real game experience before the opener. Specifically, with no joint practices, the decision-making in all this comes back to a central theme of his planning. 'Just focusing on us right now,' Taylor said. 'I think joint practices have a great benefit for what we need to do this year. We don't need to sacrifice that day before we're preparing for an opponent and practicing that day, and then taking a day, and then going and playing a game. We're just going to get three great days of work on our install, of improving on the things we need to improve on instead of competing against another team.' Taylor didn't rule out having joint practices returning in future years. But this year he wants to focus on cohesion and camaraderie. 'This was a year we decided we were just going to focus on ourself,' he said.
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
Would trading away Jaylen Brown even be worth it for the Boston Celtics?
Would trading away Jaylen Brown even be worth it for the Boston Celtics? Would trading away Jaylen Brown even be worth it for the Boston Celtics, given how hard it would be to replace what he does when the Celtics look to return to contention status? Boston is set to try to get cheaper for the coming 2025-26 NBA season while star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is out recovering from a torn Achilles, but threading that particular needle without sacrificing future capabilities will be a tough row to hoe for the team's front office. Is there a trade out there that can bring back enough in the present to cover everything Boston needs it to do that is not so unrealistic as to not be worth thinking about? The host of the CLNS Media "You Got Boston" podcast, Noa Dalzell, linked up with NBA cap expert Keith Smith of Spotrac fame. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about the wisdom of trading away Jaylen Brown. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bengals Make Major Move with Trey Hendrickson Contract Update
Bengals Make Major Move with Trey Hendrickson Contract Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. May there finally be movement on the Trey Hendrickson front? The All-Pro pass rusher has been holding out of the Cincinnati Bengals' offseason program in hopes of securing a contract extension. By missing the three days of mandatory minicamp, he has been subject to $105,000 in fines. Advertisement The decision shouldn't be whether Cincy wants to keep Hendrickson ... that's a no brainer. What has caused this dispute is the terms, like the dollar amount and long-term security. Earlier this offseason, Hendrickson appeared in street clothes to voice his stern remarks about the situation in the hopes that the Bengals' front office starts holding their end of the negotiations. Now, for the first time in months, we may have progress. Sources tell ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that the Bengals have resumed communication with Hendrickson about his contract. Hendrickson, 30, is coming off back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks, last year leading the league with that total. Advertisement "When there's a lack of communication in any relationship, where it's a business or personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity, and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction," Hendrickson said May 13 when asked about his future with the organization. The Bengals hope they can ramp up communication with Hendrickson to expedite a contract agreement before the team heads to training camp in late July. Head coach Zac Taylor emphasized how much the team needs their defensive cornerstone at practice. "I think anytime you have great players, you want them to be around," Taylor said. "That's just a decision he's got going on right now, and we'll keep focusing on the guys that are here." Advertisement For those who are present, like star quarterback Joe Burrow, Hendrickson's return eliminates any risk of a distraction. When Burrow was asked if this situation had turned into one already, he replied "of course". "You'd love to have [no contract disputes], but that's life in the NFL," Burrow said. "We're all supporting Trey and would love to have him back." There is a long way to go before Hendrickson is content on returning, but the Bengals are finally coming around to making that happen. Related: Bengals Must Stop 'Distracting' From Contending Related: Bengals Get Major Trey Hendrickson Prediction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
