Warriors looking at Boston Celtics guard as trade option (report)
The Celtics offseason of uncertainty has begun after a stunning second round exit to the Knicks. Brad Stevens has a litany of decisions to make, facing a financial crunch while dealing with the aftermath of Jayson Tatum suffering a torn Achilles that will sideline him for at least the majority of the 2025-26 season.
Just how the Celtics plan to retool around Tatum for next season and beyond is an open question, but other NBA teams are anticipating Boston being active in the trade market. One team that will be focused with great urgency on the present will be an aging Golden State Warriors squad that dealt for Jimmy Butler last season.
Advertisement
In an conversation on the Zach Lowe Show, former Warriors beat reporter Logan Murdock of the Ringer says he believes that the Warriors are looking at Celtics starting guard Derrick White as a trade target for them this offseason.
'Another guy for the Warriors to look at going forward is Derrick White,' Murdock told Lowe. 'I think that's something the Warriors are looking at right now.
'That's somebody who can play defense, can settle everyone down especially when you have a young group like that'
Lowe acknowledged that a trade of White would be one of the several items that the Celtics could be considering this offseason.
Advertisement
'I've talked about how depressing trading Derrick White would be for Boston and the sort of a dilemma they face in terms of how much of a reset do we really want to have and who we want to be back here when Tatum comes back?' Lowe said. 'Who has trade value in the interim and where Derrick White fits in that conversation?'
White is coming off his best season in Boston during the 2024-25 season and is under contract for the next four years (including a player option after his extension kicks in this summer). He will make an average of $31 million annually over those four seasons, making him a relative bargain for his two-way play.
The Warriors, like any other playoff team, surely would love to deal for White. However, Golden State does not look like a team that has the necessary trade assets to even make Boston considering parting ways with the 30-year-old guard.
The movable parts of the Warriors' roster simply shouldn't have much value to a team like Boston. Brandin Podziemski is an intriguing young guard that's just 22 but is sharp downgrade from White from a defensive standpoint. Moses Moody has shown promise also struggled to find a consistent role in his four years in Golden State and isn't exactly cheap at $11 million per year. The Warriors do own all their first round pick from 2026-2029 but their odds of bottoming out at non existent as long as Stephen Curry is still active.
Advertisement
Would a package of Podziemski, Moody and first round trade capital be enough for the Celtics to move on from White? It's hard to envision them making that type of move without getting more of a blue chip prospect or high upside draft capital. Unless Boston's brass is very high on Podziemski, it's hard to see any kind of potential deal here.
More Celtics content
Read the original article on MassLive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford's wrist has no structural damage; he'll throw bullpen this weekend
NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford's right wrist does not have any structural damage, and he probably will throw a bullpen session this weekend as he tries to prepare for a minor league rehabilitation assignment. Crawford hasn't pitched in a game this year because of patellar tendinitis in his right knee. Red Sox manager Alex Cora had said Monday that the 29-year-old right-hander would start a rehab assignment this week, then said the following day that Crawford felt wrist pain and was going to Boston for an exam. 'He went back for Fort Myers,' Cora said before Friday's series opener at the New York Yankees. 'It's up to him now, as tolerance. No live BP schedule, just a bullpen and we'll know over the weekend.' Crawford said during spring training he hurt his knee while covering first base during his third start last season, on April 10, 2024, against Baltimore. He made 30 more starts and finished 9-16 with a 4.36 ERA, leading the major leagues in losses. Tanner Houck, sidelined since May 12 by a flexor pronator strain of his right elbow, has not made any progress toward throwing off a mound, Cora said. Third baseman Alex Bregman, who strained his right quadriceps on May 23, started a running progression on Thursday at Fenway Park. 'If it's up to him, he'll be playing tonight,' Cora said. 'He has his date on his mind.' Right-hander Liam Hendriks, out since May 27 because of right hip inflammation, doesn't appear close to a return. 'Feeling better, but not great,' Cora said. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nate Oats lays blueprint, talks move-in for NBA-inspired Alabama basketball practice facility
Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats has had his hand in creating Alabama basketball's practice and training facility since the project was first announced last year. "They've had me heavily involved in the entire thing," Oats told The Next Round at the Regions Tradition. Advertisement Architects and construction workers probably wished that wasn't the case after Oats came back from Boston last summer. After a little less than a week with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula, Oats returned to Tuscaloosa with some new ideas he'd stowed away in his suitcase. "I came back and kind of blew up the plans," Oats said. CONSTRUCTION NEWS: Where were cuts made on new budget approved for Alabama basketball's practice facility? FUTURE PLANS: Nate Oats gives timeline on replacing ex-Alabama basketball assistant "Literally, we're to the end, and I'm like no, we're doing it all different," Oats said. Advertisement The communication went all the way to UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne and President Stuart Bell, who agreed to Oats' requests. "I think it's gonna be a one-of-a-kind facility. The people designing it said they'd pitched these ideas to people and they didn't really buy em," Oats said. Nate Oats talks blueprint of Alabama basketball training and practice facility "It's gonna be very integrated," Oats explained. "It's going to be a lot easier to build relationships with players, and I think that's very important in the transfer portal, NIL day." Oats said there won't be a player lounge or a staff lounge, but "one big shared space." Advertisement Where Oats' office is currently located in Coleman Coliseum, he's on the opposite end of where players are practicing, so he struggles to know when guys are coming in to shoot, or who's available for a quick conversation before a voluntary workout. Oats explained that his office on the practice floor neighbors three more for Crimson Tide assistants, all standing across from the weight room, which will conjoin with the training room. Using his hands to lay out the blueprint of the facility, Oats indicated his office will be closest to the stairs, which lead to the second floor that'll host support staff and the common area for all involved in the program. How much was the courtyard addition that Oats is so excited about? Oats gave a smirk when he brought up the courtyard, one of the more recent additions approved for the facility, going on to note he has one at his house and often finds himself tempted to work outside. Advertisement In February, the project's budget increased by $500k when the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees voted for the facility to include separate courtyards for men's and women's teams, which will serve as communal areas for players and incoming recruits. Two months later, trustees voted to slash $115k of the budget previously allocated to 'Landscaping.' "I hate being locked up in an office," Oats said. Oats' one rule? "No bird baths." The University of Alabama unveiled the first banner honoring the school's first Final Four appearance Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Coleman Coliseum. Alabama head coach Nate Oats shows off his Final Four ring after it was presented by athletics director Greg Byrne and president Stuart Bell. When is Alabama basketball expected to move in to new home? The facility is expected to be complete by "next summer," according to Oats, adding the team anticipates moving in "this time next year." By that estimate, all should be said and done by May 2026. Advertisement Byrne told the Tuscaloosa News in December that the facility will offer "the latest technology," adding that the "first step" Alabama takes towards renovations on Coleman start with the practice facility. "I'm super excited. I can't wait," Oats said. Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@ This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nate Oats on blueprint, expected move-in for Alabama basketball practice facility
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
"One day I would wake up and the pain would finally be gone, but I was wrong" - Bird on struggles with his health even decades after retirement
Long before he became the stoic legend in Indiana Pacers polos and the face of blue-collar brilliance for the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird was already feeling the toll. It started with his back. Not in the form of a single injury or moment, but a slow, grinding wear-down. By the end of the 1991–92 season, the legend from French Lick had given all he could — not just to the Celtics but to the game. Years of diving for loose balls, taking charges, and battling under the rim with spinal discomfort had caught up to "Larry Legend." Bird's back pain Even years after he left the hardwood, the pain didn't leave Larry. And day after day, there was an endless feeling of pain and discomfort. Advertisement "I kept thinking that since I was retired, one day I would wake up and the pain would finally be gone, but I was wrong," Bird said. "The doctors were hoping my nerves would calm down, and I tried all sorts of treatments and stretching exercises to make that happen, but I was still miserable." By the end of his career, Bird had played in 897 regular-season games, averaging 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He did that with a body that, toward the end, was practically broken. After 1988, "The Hick from French Lick" missed nearly 200 games due to his back alone. Yet he still played in all 24 games of the '92 Dream Team run. His back was shot — not from one fall, but from thousands. Bird's performance in the Barcelona Olympics was the curtain call. He played through visible agony, unable to even sit on the bench for long stretches. Larry had to lie on the floor just to get a break from the constant nerve pain shooting down his legs. Advertisement Bird had quietly hoped time would heal what effort had broken, but the pain wasn't going anywhere. It lingered, gnawed, and stiffened his movements. Retirement didn't offer the relief the Indiana native imagined. The nerve damage didn't respect trophies, accolades, or jersey retirements. Eventually, even the mental weight became too much. Bird, once the image of grit and stubborn endurance, made the call. The Indiana State product reached out to his physical therapist, Dan Dyrek, the same man who had guided him through his worst playing days. This time, it wasn't about getting back on the court. It was about getting out of bed without misery. Related: Isiah Thomas recalls his college recruitment: "My mom closed the briefcase and said, 'My son's not for sale" Getting surgery His therapist advised that it was time for spinal fusion surgery. The procedure wasn't minor — far from it. In Bird's case, it involved removing pieces of bone from the side of his spine and screws were inserted into his vertebrae to act as anchors, and rods were attached to stabilize Larry's back. It wasn't a guaranteed fix, but anything to stop the pain. Advertisement The real risk lay in the aftermath. By immobilizing a section of the spine, the pressure shifts to the areas above and below. These segments, not designed to bear that weight long-term, can begin to deteriorate over time. Nobody, not even top surgeons, could promise it would hold up. "That's why shortly before I had the fusion surgery, Dan told me, 'Larry, you better go out and play golf, because you may never play golf again," Bird recalled. Larry didn't argue. He'd already pushed his body through an NBA career that spanned 13 years, three MVPs, and three championships. Bird had played through bone spurs in his heels, double Achilles tendinitis, and a crushed back. This was the final shot — not to play, but to live without constant pain. He had the surgery, and recovery took nine months. Nine months of cautious steps, patient stretches, and days filled with pain management. But then the cloud began to lift. That burning, electric agony that had haunted "Larry Legend" for years started to fade. And for the first time in decades, Bird could jog, swing a tennis racket, and hit a golf ball without grimacing. Advertisement Still, he had to be careful. Scrimmaging was out of the question. If Larry pushed his back too hard, the spasms would creep in. But they were manageable. Not like before. Related: "I don't know if it's going to let me do what I want to do" – Bird on how his sore back hindered his contributions to the 1992 Dream Team
