Boston Celtics guard Derrick White has done nothing but improve since arriving in Boston two seasons ago. With his contract set to expire after next season, is an extension likely?
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens joined NBC Sports Boston's Celtics Pregame Live prior to Boston's Eastern Conference semifinals Game 2 matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers to discuss the probability of re-signing the 29-year-old.
"We'd love to have Derrick as long as we can have Derrick," Stevens said. "I haven't been in this job long, but that one doesn't feel like brain surgery to me."
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Boston acquired White at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for Romeo Langford, Josh Richardson, and a first-round pick. White truly emerged as a top player within the Celtics' system the following year, his first full season in Boston, earning his first nod to the All-Defensive second team.
White is coming off the best season of his career in which he averaged 15.2 points on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 39.6 percent from deep, along with 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and a steal per game.
"If we can keep Derrick White around here, that's probably a good idea," Stevens added. "I think the biggest thing is when you look at the difference from when he first got here -- and he was great when he first got here, as far as connecting the group -- it's just his confidence."
White has once again found a way to elevate his game through the first six games of Boston's 2024 playoff campaign, already making NBA history for his hot start from beyond the arc. Emerging as one of the Celtics' most efficient scorers, White has brought his scoring average up to 22.8 points on 57.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep.
With White now having more of a spotlight on him, Stevens believes that his impact on winning was overshadowed last season, which can be easy for fans to do when sharing a court with stars like Brown and Jayson Tatum.
"What was kind of overshadowed last year towards the end of our season when we had some ups and downs in the playoffs was how good [White] was," Stevens stated. "Especially in that Miami series late, he gave us a chance there in Game 7 late in that third quarter comeback, he had that huge play in Game 6, so it's not a huge surprise to me that a guy who keeps ascending with all of his great characteristics would take advantage and really take off."
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While finding a way to pay White could be difficult within the salary cap -- especially after giving 33-year-old Jrue Holiday a four-year, $135 million extension -- it still seems that Boston wants to find a way to keep him around long-term.
Next season will be the final year of White's current four-year, $70 million contract that he originally signed with the San Antonio Spurs, and he will likely see a well-earned pay raise.
Check out Stevens' full interview on Celtics Pregame Live below.