Derrick White is near the top of NBA 2K27’s perimeter defender rankings, but not at the very top.
NBA 2K released its top 10 list ahead of the game’s launch, and the Celtics guard came in second with a 95 rating. The player sitting above him is Pistons forward Ausar Thompson, who landed at 97.
The rest of the top five features Knicks forward OG Anunoby and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, both at 94, followed by Rockets guard Amen Thompson and Thunder guard Cason Wallace, each at 93. White is the lone Celtics player on the list.
White’s placement comes with some strong defensive résumé behind it. He has made the NBA’s All-Defensive Team three times, and in 2025-26 he drew the sixth-most votes for Defensive Player of the Year, which marked the best finish of his career in that race.
Thompson’s rise helps explain why he got the nod at No. 1.
He picked up his first All-Defensive selection last season and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. In just his third season, he made a serious case as one of the league’s most disruptive defenders.
And the list is crowded enough that some familiar names didn’t make the cut at all. Alex Caruso, Herb Jones, Kawhi Leonard and Stephon Castle are all widely viewed as elite defenders, yet none cracked the top 10.
NBA 2K will keep adjusting ratings as the season goes on, so this ranking isn’t set in stone. By the end of the year, it could look very different.
In Other News...
Grant Williams Weighed In On Tatum And Brown's Celtics Breakup Narrative
Grant Williams is the latest former Celtics voice to push back on the breakup chatter surrounding Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Williams said the two stars had respect for each other and genuinely enjoyed being around one another, cutting against the idea that their partnership was strained away from the floor even as outside speculation continued to follow them.
The topic has only grown more unavoidable since Brown was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason in the Paul George and draft-compensation trade, and both players have since publicly addressed their relationship. For Boston, the question lingers less about whether the chemistry worked in the room and more about how a pairing that produced so much success gets remembered once it is no longer intact. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May Have Their Eye On A Frontcourt Move Fans Didn't Expect
Domantas Sabonis quietly surfaced in the Celtics orbit before the NBA Draft, according to ESPNs Anthony Slater, who reported that Sacramento had at least one phone call with Boston about a possible deal. It was the kind of frontcourt chatter that tends to get buried under draft noise, but it still stood out because the Celtics were not the only team checking in, with Toronto, Detroit and Charlotte also reportedly involved.
Sabonis remains under contract for two more years, and his camp has indicated a willingness to recommit to the Kings, which helps explain why nothing has moved fast. Even so, Bostons presence in those conversations is worth noting, because it suggests the Celtics were at least exploring a big-man swing that would have altered the shape of their roster in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Former Celtics Champion Faces A Brutal New Fight For His NBA Future
JD Davisons NBA path has taken another sharp turn after Houston waived the former Celtics guard, leaving him on the open market and trying to figure out what comes next. The move landed only months after the Rockets had picked up his option in June, and it adds another layer of uncertainty for a player who has flashed enough in the G League to keep his pro career moving, even as NBA opportunities have stayed limited.
Davison has already used up his two-way contract eligibility, so the next step has to be a real foothold somewhere, whether that comes in the league or elsewhere. He was a standout in the G League and won the MVP Award in 2025, but his future now looks unsettled, with overseas options and a possible return to the Maine Celtics on an affiliate deal among the routes still on the table. [Read more 🡒]