Celtics Star Reveals Wild Trade Story That Led To NBA Title

The Boston Celtics made the bold move to acquire Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs in 2022, but the bet paid off. White was a major factor in Boston winning the 2024 NBA title, the franchise’s first in 16 years and 18th overall.

In the first episode of his new show, White Noise Podcast, White told the story of how he was traded from the Spurs to the Celtics. The 31-year-old said that Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich broke the news to him.

“Pop walks in the room and he’s like ‘Hey, uh, we traded you,‘ and doesn’t say anything,” White said. “‘I‘m like ‘to where?‘ And he was like, ‘We wouldn’t (expletive) you, we sent you to Boston.‘”

White arrived in Boston with an immediate impact. He quickly became a starter and helped guide the Celtics to a 2024 NBA Finals win alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis. White had the best season of his career this year, averaging 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 76 games. 

White’s First Game With Boston

After Boston traded for him, White said he wasn’t ready to quickly join a Boston team that was in mid-season form. He added that in his first game with the Celtics, he was ‘hooping off vibes.’

“The entire time during the game, I didn’t know what they were doing,” White said. “Like I told someone, I was just hooping off vibes. I didn’t really know what was going on, but I was just out there…Sometimes I was in actions and I was like ‘what is going on?‘”

Boston ended up winning that game, while White finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists off the bench. In his own humble words, he said, ‘(I) kinda helped us with the game.’

White also praised his former teammate in Holiday. The six-time All-Defensive team guard came to Boston in 2023 after previously winning a title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Holiday earned an All-Star selection the year before he joined the Celtics, but allowed White to shine while playing his same position.  

“Jrue allowed me to be me. Allowed me to step into my own and do what I do,” White said. “It was unbelievable to be his teammate. Loved having him here. Great guy, great family…You can’t really replace a Jrue Holiday.”

Holiday was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers over the offseason. Porzingis was also sent to the Atlanta Hawks this summer, and Horford is expected to sign with the Golden State Warriors. White, Brown, and Tatum remain the only starters from the 2024 championship team still on the Celtics’ roster. 

White’s Praise Of Popovich

While the trade ended up being a success for White, he credited Popovich for where he is today in the NBA. He was drafted by the Spurs in 2017 and spent the first four and a half years of his career in San Antonio alongside the most-winning coach of all time. 

“I don’t even know if I’d still be playing without Pop,” White said. “Just learning from him. Him giving me confidence was unbelievable for my career because he’s the greatest coach of all time. If he believes in me, I might be able to play a little bit in this league.”

Popovich stepped down from his role as Spurs head coach this summer after suffering a mild stroke. He ends his career with five championships and helped develop some of the best players the NBA has ever seen. 

After beginning his career with Popovich and the Spurs, the legendary coach and his help paid off for White. After earning just over $8.5 million in the first four years of his career, he signed a $70 million extension in 2020, and a $118 million extension in 2024 after Boston won the title.