The Derrick White trade changed the course of Celtics history

When the Boston Celtics got eliminated by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021 NBA playoffs, the screen faded to black, and the credits began to run. The Brad Stevens years had come to a disappointing close, yet simultaneously, the true Stevens era hadn’t even begun.

Danny Ainge retired, if only for a short time, and it allowed Stevens to move to the front office. Moves like that are often just to allow a coach serve out the remainder of their contract, but Stevens’ switch felt different. And from the jump, it was.

Immediately, Stevens’ willingness to trade draft capital was unlike Ainge’s desire to always win the deal. He moved on from Kemba Walker, trading the 16th pick in the 2021 draft to bring Al Horford back to Boston.

Even then, something wasn’t right. Led by Ime Udoka, the Celtics’ 2022 season started off terribly. On Jan. 28, they clocked in at a mediocre 25-25.

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Udoka’s rants, Marcus Smart calling out Tatum and Brown, and a torrential downpour of negative narratives threatened to sink the team. Then, they ripped off a nine-game win streak… before a loss to the Detroit Pistons took them into the All-Star break.

Something was still missing, and Stevens knew it. If he was Christopher Nolan and the Horford deal was The Dark Knight, what he had in store for Boston put Interstellar to shame.

The win streak was enough of a sign of life to spring Stevens into action as a buyer, rather than pulling the plug and retooling around his two wings — or maybe even just one of them. He shipped out Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and two first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs. In return, Boston got Derrick White.

That trade changed the course of the franchise forever.

In the year and a half prior to acquiring White, the Celtics went 71-66 in the regular season and playoffs combined. Since then, they have gone 187-70.

White has completely evolved his game with the Celtics. He’s made two All-Defensive teams, transformed into an efficient, high-volume 3-point shooter in the postseason, and is one of Boston’s most reliable pick-and-roll ball handlers.

Throughout the first half of the 2023-24 season, White was lauded for his two-way impact, even earning some All-Star buzz. Boston cruised to the best record in basketball, and he was consistently one of their best players.

In the 2022-23 season, White ranked fourth in the NBA in total plus-minus at +488 on the season, and this past year, the Celtics were even better during his minutes, with him finishing second in the league in the stat at +619.

But for as incredible as White has been on the floor, it’s his personality that’s embedded him so deep into Celtics lore.

“We’re just so much more of a dynamic team when D-White is asserting himself, and being aggressive, and not being passive,” Jayson Tatum said to memorably describe White after Boston’s Game 2 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1 of the 2023 playoffs. “We’ve talked about him being too passive and looking for guys too much. He’s too good of a guy.”

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CelticsBlog’s 2022 profile of White revealed even more of his off-the-court ways. The same guy who fans see talking to the media at the podium is the same guy his friends see at home, taking down more cookies in one sitting than should be humanly possible.

Fresh off of the Celtics’ Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, White went home, greeted his family and one of his childhood friends, Reece Elliot, and reached for his favorite snack.

“I [Elliot] was like, ‘When was the last time you had an Oreo?’ He’s like, ‘I haven’t had one since the playoff series.’ And he pulls out this clear jar of, I don’t know, 40, 50, 100 Oreos and just starts smacking. He’s like, ‘Man, those are so freakin’ good.’”

There was obvious disappointment. Boston failed to get the job done. But all White wanted was to drown his sorrows in Oreos and be with his family.

“I’m like, ‘Dude, do you need to vent? Do you need a shot of tequila? Do you need to go throw something at the wall? Like, what do you need?’” Elliot recollected. “He’s like, ‘I need a frickin’ Oreo.’”

White’s kind-hearted, laid-back persona has allowed him to mesh with a Celtics roster that has emerged as one of the most talented in recent history. His ability to be a star without seeking stardom made him a perfect on and off-court fit to push the team to ridiculously dominant levels.

Richardson was a quality rotation player, Langford was a recent lottery pick at the time, and first-rounders are always valuable, but Stevens found an invaluable return in White. Since Richardson left, he’s bounced around to three different teams. Langford is now out of the league. And while picks are picks, the Celtics are chasing rings, not prospects. In retrospect, Boston got one of the biggest trade-deadline steals ever.

Stevens’ trade for White drew the line in the sand for the Celtics. On one side was a talented team that needed an extra oomph. On the other, White was the oomph.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

In the years following the trade, White has established himself as something of a folk hero in Boston. From his game-winning shot in Game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals to his Sam Adams commercials, Celtics fans love White, and he loves them back.

“I mean, it’s crazy, we got the best fans in the league, so, I’m most thankful and grateful for them,” White said after getting MVP chants at TD Garden earlier this season.

“I mean, I know I’m not the MVP,” he added to clarify, letting out a chuckle, “but it’s always cool to hear.”

White’s entrance onto the scene in Boston has created a culture shift, whether it was a direct result of his presence or not. His easygoing personality and steady, star-level production have lifted the Celtics to another level.

Seemingly everyone who has ever met White loves him, and combined with all of the deals Stevens has made, the Celtics’ way of life has never been the same.

Stevens’ Dunkirk was trading Aaron Nesmith, a first, and filler for Malcolm Brogdon. His Tenet was flipping long-time fan-favorite Marcus Smart in a deal for Kristaps Porzingis. And his Oppenheimer was capitalizing on the Milwaukee Bucks’ eagerness to improve, stealing Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers.

Now, with the Celtics on the precipice of Banner 18, all of Stevens’ moves have led up to this moment. And the White trade was the first — and perhaps most important — domino of them all.