WINNER: Boston Celtics
Their moves and trades will get overlooked, but the Celtics were very active at the trade deadline. Out went Josh Richardson, Dennis Schroder, Enes Freedom, Bruno Fernando, P.J. Dozier, and Bol Bol, and in came Derrick White, Daniel Theis, and a future second-round pick for the Celtics.
Nothing about their trade deadline moves will blow you away, but the Celtics added depth to their bench, which was essential for them to do at the deadline this season since their bench is one of the worst in the league.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are terrific talents, but they have not been able to carry the Celtics on their own and that has been proven this season with some of the Celtics’ struggles.
Being able to create space off-the-dribble, Derrick White can not only be the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics, but he can also play off-the-ball with Tatum and Brown being primary facilitators and ball-handlers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Key Takeaways From Wild NBA Trade Deadline Action
Moving on from Dennis Schroder and/or Josh Richardson were the main goals of the Celtics heading into the trade deadline and they had been looking to utilize their many trade exceptions.
Derrick White is under contract long-term, meaning that he, Tatum, Brown and Smart are all under contract through the 2023-24 season, but the Celtics are close to being a championship contender in the Eastern Conference once again.
They have the star-power to be a real threat right now, but the key for the Celtics was to add a little bit more secondary firepower.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Key Takeaways From Wild NBA Trade Deadline Action
Derrick White is a proven scorer, a proven facilitator and will take a lot of pressure off of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to make all the plays for the Celtics, which is why this was a good move for them, even though the Celtics did give up a lot of value to acquire him.
Expect the Celtics to continue looking for ways to add more talent to their roster in the buyout market, especially since they have open roster spots now.
