The start of this 2025-26 NBA season hasn’t quite gone according to plan for Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. With Jayson Tatum on the sidelines and the likes of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis no longer on the team, White was expected to step up his game, and he has failed in that quest so far.
White is averaging 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game for the Celtics in 2025-26. The 31-year-old has been very inefficient, shooting 31.0% from the field and 26.3% from beyond the arc.
It’s still early, but White is perhaps showing that he is one of those players who shine as the third or fourth option on offense, but can’t make that jump to second. We have seen someone like Austin Reaves impress in a bigger role for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but not everyone can make that transition.
While Celtics fans might be sounding the alarm, head coach Joe Mazzulla has made it clear he isn’t worried about White’s start to the season. Mazzulla stated in his press conference before Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz that he doesn’t care about the numbers.
“He’s playing well,” Mazzulla said, via Bobby Manning. “You take a look at what he’s asked to do, his defensive effort, his ability to create for himself and for others. It’s just him continuing to grow and get better, and us as coaches work with him and put him in great spots. But he’s a competitor, and he wants to do a lot.
“So that’s the thing I told all these guys,” Mazzulla added. “I don’t really care about the numbers or the adjustment to that. You’re defined by so much more than that, and what we need you to do goes beyond a shooting percentage or shots. He’s a guy that’s defined by his competitiveness and making plays for us on both ends.”
Those percentages have to go up at some point, though. White struggled in the game against the Jazz, finishing with 10 points (3-9 FG), five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks as the Celtics lost 105-103. This was their second straight loss, and they have now dropped to 3-5.
The Celtics’ struggles have led to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale listing them as not a buyer, but a seller in the trade market this season. Favale thinks the team will look to duck the luxury tax, and he has ranked White as their top trade asset, followed by Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser.
“White is the line of demarcation,” Favale wrote. “At 31, he’s best suited on an immediate contender. The Celtics could probably get at least three first-rounders if they’re willing to move him.”
The Celtics had indicated that White and Jaylen Brown are untouchable in trade talks after last season. Favale, though, seems to think they would be willing to let White go before the deadline. If the guard keeps up this level of play, however, the Celtics aren’t getting three first-round picks.
White, who has made two All-Defensive teams, is still a great defender, but no team would give up that kind of haul if the offense is this bad when he has to play a bigger role. He’s also in his 30s, so he isn’t going to excel on the defensive end for too much longer either.
The best course of action for the Celtics might just be to keep White regardless of how he plays this season. What we and they know for sure is that he thrives when he plays alongside Tatum and Brown. Once Tatum returns, you’d expect White to get back to his best, and a core of these two and Brown can take the Celtics far in the postseason.
