Derrick White keeps adding new layers to his game, and the latest recognition shows just how far he’s come with the Celtics.
Sporting News slotted White 15th in its point guard rankings for the 2026-27 season, putting him right between the Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox and the Clippers’ Darius Garland. The placement reflects the steady rise of a player who has become one of Boston’s most reliable pieces.
White, selected 29th overall by the Spurs in the 2018 NBA Draft, was dealt to the Celtics in 2022 and quickly became a major part of the rotation. He was a key contributor to Boston’s 2023-24 NBA Finals championship run, averaging 16.7 points per game.
His production only climbed last season. White posted career-best marks in points at 16.5 per game, along with 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. That kind of all-around impact is a big reason Sporting News kept him in the upper tier of point guards.
Steph Noh praised White’s value this way:
"White is the ultimate two-way glue guy that makes everyone around him better. His killer on-ball and team defense, secondary playmaking, and shooting make him one of the most valuable players for the Celtics."
White’s place in Boston is backed up financially, too. In 2024, he signed a four-year, $125.9 million extension with the Celtics and has a player option for 2028-29.
For White, though, the larger reality of the NBA still hangs over everything. As he put it in talking with SI’s John Karalis:
"The business is the business, especially nowadays," White told SI’s John Karalis. "Anybody can get traded. But I think we do a good job in the locker room, kind of wanting to care about each other."
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