Finding a trustworthy third option who can drop to No. 2 when Curry or Jimmy Butler are out is critical for the Warriors as they look to go all-in over the next two seasons, which are the length of the Curry-Butler-Draymond Green core’s contracts and coach Steve Kerr’s.
Buddy Hield had his moments, but he wasn’t consistent. Likewise with Brandin Podziemski. To be honest, it was a big ask for a second-year player. Jonathan Kuminga, the polarizing player, showed flashes, but his skill set overlaps with Butler’s, and Kerr made it clear that he does not trust the young forward to play 38 minutes given their current roster construction and win-now window.
Enter Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, a Warriors trade target, according to The Ringer’s Logan Murdock during an appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show” on May 16.
“Another guy that I think you should look at for the Warriors going forward is Derrick White,” Murdock told the crowd. “The Warriors are considering a player like that as Boston is expected to have a fire sale or reset. Just somebody who can play defense and calm everyone down. Especially with a youthful bunch like that, you need to quiet them down during the non-Steph [Curry] minutes, so that’s something to work out.”
And it’s easy to see why. White has a championship pedigree and a mutual connection with Kerr — Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs — so he a seamless fit.
Adam Taylor of the USA Today’s Warriors Wire offered a consolidation trade, which he said works under the “the rigorous trade machine test over on Spotrac, that will ship White to Golden State.
This is Taylor’s trade proposal:
Golden State Warriors get Derrick White.
Boston Celtics acquire Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and a 2027 first-round selection (lottery protected).
The Warriors can use up to four first-round picks as draft capital in a deal. So this will leave them with still enough firepower to go out and obtain another piece to add to their veteran core.
“For Golden State, White would be an ideal two-guard next to Curry. Taylor noted, “He defends at an elite level, rarely makes the wrong read, and can hit threes on both the catch and the dribble.”
White was one of the few bright spots in the Celtics’ disappointing season.
The 6-foot-4 guard scored an average of 20.2 points in their second-round loss to the New York Knicks. He finished the playoffs as Boston’s third-best scorer, averaging 18.8 points, trailing only Tatum (28.1) and Jaylen Brown (22.1), and he was also one of the team’s greatest perimeter defenders.
White will be 31 in July and his four-year, $118 million deal will start kicking in next season. If the Warriors sign him, he may help them win another title and bridge the gap between Curry and the next generation.
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