Almost running it back with their team for the title defense is the Boston Celtics. With Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Jayson Tatum staying, he recently became one of the highest-paid players in league history. Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla have a lot of adjustments to make, but their team is more than prepared to wait. Nothing mentioned that several of their top guards showed a strong desire to remain with the team.
Derrick White had an above-average defensive instinct and a quirky jump shooting when he joined the Celtics. Brad Stevens trusted him together with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum because of this alone. With time, Joe Mazzulla’s system helped him build a dependable three-point shot. Then Boston officially accepted him as one of its own. He even purchased a duck boat and has blended in rather nicely.
The fact that the Celtics possessed a franchise guard who desired to stay was evident as day. In his most recent remarks, White even expressed his wish to stay in the system, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports.
“I kept saying how much I enjoyed being in Boston. I was optimistic and grateful that everything transpired quite swiftly and that I won’t have to respond to inquiries about it for the duration of the season. It wasn’t too difficult. They wanted me there, and all I wanted was to be there. Thus, everything turned out OK. It’s thrilling. Everyone is probably aware of how well we got along and simply enjoyed playing together. Not having to ask questions about it will just make it a lot of fun.
It’s safe to assume that White had a burning desire to defeat the Dallas Mavericks and win everything. In the process, he gave up a tooth, and he even contributed to the success of their Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combination on the court. That does not, however, imply that his influence diminished. Actually, the reverse occurred. With Brad Stevens’s trust and Joe Mazzulla’s assistance, his influence rose.
White recorded the second-highest scoring average of his career during their 2024–25 season. In addition to making 39.1% of his shots from three, he made 46.1% of his shots from all three levels of the floor. He received 15.2 points per contest thanks to all of these. In terms of assists, he also had a career-high year.
