BLOCKBUSTER Celtics Trade Rumors via Bill Simmons & Zach Lowe: Derrick White ROCKETS Trade?

[Music] We’re getting closer and closer to the 2526 NBA season and somehow the trade rumors are getting juicier and juicier as I was listening to the Bill Simmons podcast. He had Zack Low on and they were discussing the Fred Van Vleet injury and we discussed that on yesterday’s show as well perhaps speculating that being an Anthony Simons trade destination. Bill Simmons and Zach Low had a little bit different of an idea that we’ll break down on today’s show. And then later on, ESPN dropped their top 100 players and that is always a list that is calls for controversy. Three Celtics made the list. We’ll break down where they were and who were surrounding them on the back half of today’s show. Before we get into that though, training camp is almost here. We can finally start talking about some real hoops in on your Celtics this upcoming season. So, make sure you are subscribed to the channel. Trying to get to 54,000 by training camp. We are 419 subs away. Can 419 dieh hard Celtics fans who want free content every single day. Go down below and hit that sub button right now. All right, as we know, Fred Vanite went down with a torn ACL in a little bit of some offseason work here very very uh soon before training camp. Not good news at all for the Houston Rockets and they’re really left kind of without a guard uh really without any guard for the most part. There’s speculation that they’re going to have Amen Thompson run a lot of ball handling duties this upcoming season. I’m not so sure I had a great of an idea that is just uh just just yet in his career. And then you got a guy like Reed Shepard who it was was the third overall pick two seasons ago, but hasn’t really yet made an impact in his NBA career to this point. And the Rockets, they’re a team that is near contention in the Western Conference. They just picked up Kevin Durant. They have Shenon. They have Thompson. Like they have a legitimate core that is so good enough to win a title in this league, but going down Van League going down really takes away a guy who can kind of calm everything down at the point guard spot. And oh, by the way, hit 40 foot jump shots. There’s no chance. And we were talking about yesterday with an Anthony Simons trade. Not really going to work out between the two sides. When it comes to what Anthony Simons makes, what the goals of the Boston Celtics are when dealing Anthony Simons, it is decreasing the stress on their salary cap and shedding some money. You can’t really do that with a team like the Rockets who are hardcapped at the First Apron. They are $1.5 million away from it. So, you can’t shed any money in a Rockets trade. And with the players that the Cell that the Rockets, excuse me, have uh on their books right now, there’s really no combo that you could make that would equal Anthony Simons’s value back, considering what the price is going to be for him towards the trade deadline. So, it would make no sense to make an Anthony Simons trade. But if you guys were paying attention and was looking at the picture uh of the Celtic player that was next to Fred Van Vleet being guarded by at the beginning of today’s show, they had a different idea on a trade. And here is kind of how it shaped up. It’s it’s a doozy. Derek White, Houston Rockets. A lot going back to the Boston Celtics. Reed Shepard, who I just previously mentioned. You’re taking a flyer on Reed Shepard. I’m not going to lie here. You get Van Vleet, who will miss this entire upcoming season all likely or in all likelihood. And then you’ll have him back on a one-year $25 million contract for the 2627 campaign. But that’s I mean, yes, you want some guards. you want some guys who you can believe in, you know, developing and and obviously case, you know, playing a big role for you uh in in the back court. But the real, you know, meat and potatoes of this trade package, this return going back to Boston is the picks and and how valuable these could be down the line in a couple of seasons. They have the 2027 Phoenix Suns pick for this Kevin Durant trade. They also or Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh yeah, for the Kevin R trade. They also have the 2027 Brooklyn Nets swap for the James Harden trade way back when. That is uber valuable. The Nets don’t look like they’re contending anytime soon. Also, why not throw in one to2 Houston first? This is the Simmons and low kind of trade framework. Nothing as far as picks-wise are really set in stone, but they were talking about how they kind of have a treasure trove in Houston, a lot of valuable picks. Then, you know, they wouldn’t be a group of, you know, four unprotected Houston picks. Those are all going to be in the 20s or later. So yeah, give me a sweetener of 1 to2 Houston first and then those two really really valuable ones coming from the Suns and Brooklyn in about two seasons. Look, the Rockets and then I I don’t think there’s many there’s much room for more young talent to kind of jump into this Rockets rotation in this in the next few seasons where they’re going to be contending in the West. Like they already have a young guy in Jabari Smith. They have, you know, Reed Shepard would be going back to Boston in this case, but they have him. They have Ahmed Thompson. Shenun’s still pretty young. Tar East’s still pretty young. like they they have a lot of players on this roster that are under the age of like 26 27 years old and there isn’t going to be a lot of room for, you know, young players in 2027 to be able to get into that ro uh into that rotation there. So, they should absolutely do this trade. Strike while the iron’s hot. Go get a guy in Derek White, 31 years old, can do everything for you on the basketball court, elite two-way talent, and can calm things down from the point guard spot as well, even though it’s not exactly his natural position. Ran a ton of it last year in Boston. The Celtics on the other hand, you know, probably don’t do this trade, right? But if they want to really kind of hard rebuild here and set them set themselves on a new timeline, then you trade away a 31 32 year old Derrick White who has four years left in his contract, will be 35 at the end of it. I don’t really anticipate his game falling off of a cliff by then, but again, you know, father time is undefeated. The Celtics only do this if they are committing themselves to the way Jason Tatum Jaylen Brown rebuild centered around a whole heck of a lot of other young talent. Obviously Pton Pritchard, he’s near Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s age as well. He’d be a part of it just due to how valuable his contract is. But if the Celtics want to tank their season, go out there and pick up a guy in Fred Van Vleet who’s not playing. They got Jason Tatum who’s not playing. Probably going to trade Anthony Simons for nothing. And then, you know, you’re led by Jaylen Brown who could end up having a injury at some point in February or March. Not saying that the actual injury guys, they they would they would load manage them for the remainder of the season to go get themselves a priority lottery pick. And then you have yourselves a nice young piece who can contribute right away next year. And then you have two two picks in 2027 that are just dynamite. Uh I I don’t see any way in which Brooklyn and Phoenix are not in the lottery in 2027. So, you’re going to put yourself in a really, really good spot to build a new pretty much overhauled roster completely from where you were when you won a championship. The Rockets picks though, they don’t help you for a while. Like they Yeah. 2027, 2028, Jaylen Brown’s going to be 30. Tatum’s going to be 29. Those guys don’t help you until like probably the following year, 2028. They’re not ready to go and compete for a championship. you know, a team filled with, you know, Jason, Jaylen Brown, Peyton Pritchard, Sam Hower, you know, what whatever center you do you find and develop over the next couple years. Maybe maybe one of these guys is that guy and then a bunch of first through third year players kind of rounding out the rest of it. It’s not going to win a championship most likely unless those guys, you know, you you strike on a Jaylen Brown or Jason Tatum at a third overall selection or something like that. Maybe Reed Shepard does develop into what people thought he could have been like a a ball handling type of Klay Thompson player when he was originally drafted. Obviously not maybe not that high of a ceiling, but that’s that that’s the gist of it. But these picks wouldn’t help you for a long time at this point. And Derek White is also one of Jaylen Brown and Derek and Jason Tatum’s boys. Like how do you justify making this trade? Especially when you consider like Simmons was talking about this. Tatum just talking went on this whole media tour yesterday talking about this this rehab this recovery process is going so well I’m gonna come back at 100% might even come back this season. How do you justify all the work that he’s putting in or tra train trading Derrick White when he’s putting in all this work? How do you justify trading Derk White when Jaylen Brown’s putting in all this work? He had a knee procedure done. He had a partially torn meniscus. He’s coming back from injury. But so so that’s it’s it’s hard to justify in that scenario. But Zack Low kind of had this counterpoint when he was talking with Simmons. He said it’s t a tough phone call to Jason Tatum. And on the other hand though, Tatum’s an NB has an NBA title, several first team all NBA appearances, and is about to make $71.5 million in 2930. Not that he’s greedy, but he knows how much of the cap space percentage that takes up. So I would hope he would see the bigger picture. The Celtics are only going to win another championship with Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown if they find really costefficient assets that can contribute for long stretches. They’ve done that with a couple of guys. Payeyton Pritchard, Sam Hower. They each make 8 to10 million a season. You’re not going to find a lot of, you know, guys like that outside of guys on rookie contracts to be honest. Like those guys are a diamond dozen. You already have two of them. So, they’re probably going to have to find some guys through the draft. And with the situation they’re in right now, it’s not super likely that they’re going to have a I’d say priority pick. There’s a chance it’s it’s it’s high lottery, but uh or I say I should say low lottery, but the the odds of them being in a position where they are getting a top 10, top five, maybe even top three selection, it’s pretty low if you keep Derek White around. Who I’d want personally in a Rockets trade for Derrick White, I’d want Jabari Smith. This guy’s a dog. Absolute rebounding dog. Can hit the outside shot, can defend multiple positions. um could run him at the three, four, five, depending on what kind of lineup you’re running. I love Jabari Smith. Uh only 22 years old. I think he’s only tapping in to what he can become as an NBA player. Um I’m not the biggest fan of Reed Shepard, but we know what the Salts have been able to do with number three overall picks. Smith is number three overall pick himself. So, that’s who I would want, but I don’t think the Rockets would go for that. Um considering that they’d be giving away as many as much draft assets and capital as they would. With that being said, would you make this trade? This this it’s wild. It’s not going to happen. But if the idea was out there and the Rockets really, really, really were in love with Derek White, um, it would cost them a whole heck of a lot than a lot of other guards would in this league. But would you do this trade of Reed Shepard, Fred Van Vleet, and four first round picks, two of them being very, very valuable coming back to Boston. A for accept, D for decline. Let me know what you guys think down in the comments section. I think I’ve accepted that there’s a pretty low chance, not saying that there’s no chance, but there’s a pretty low chance that Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Dererick White, by the time these contracts are up, win another championship. Pretty low chance. A lot would have to go right. So, I would accept this deal and go into this new timeline for Jason Tatum. And then I would go cry in private that Derrick White’s not a Celtic anymore. I would never want to trade Derrick White under really any circumstance. But the Rockets in this situation would be probably be giving you as good of an out as you could get in a Derrick White scenario. Jay Statam and Jaylen Brown are probably still going to be pretty good from 30 to 34. So you’re going to have that kind of new timeline, that new era with if you made a trade like this. I would accept it, but I would not be happy about it whatsoever. Next, we’ll talk about the ESPN top 100 list. It’s controversial. Three sellers made it. We’ll tell you who’s around them in just a moment. First though, I got to tell you guys about this awesome deals hats on sale over at chessports.com/sellies hats. Got the corduroy one. Got this nice uh design one as well. These these are in style. I got the rope, you got the cream, you got the color brim. That’s dope as well. I like this one, the khaki. Uh it’s little my speed. And then they got this nice city skyline one as well with the Boston skyline in the back. You can get them at this link right here. chatports.com/selix hats. That’s chatports.com/seltics to get yours today. That link’s in the comments section and description of today’s video. All righty. So, we’re in a spot where Peyton Pritchard is a top 100 player in the National Basketball Association. Maybe 97th overall, Peyton Pritchard. Now, that could mean a lot of things. Who was above him? Who is in front of him? Or who’s behind him? Who’s in front of him? We got to break that down right now. Behind Payton Pritchard, rounding out the top 100 players, RJ Barrett, Stefan Castle, Walker Kesler. And I’m honestly kind of raw reacting to this for the first time. I haven’t really thought about it in too much depth. I was kind of just getting the names on there. I’d say he’s absolutely more valuable than RJ Barrett. Um, not enough of a floor space, not enough of a defender to justify the lack of three of a three-point shot on him. Stefon Castle, one year in the league, so I’m I’m going to give Payton Pritchard the edge, but I like Stefon Castle a lot. Walker Kesler, tough to compare those two guys to be honest with you. A 7 foot2 player to a sixoot player who makes half court shots. This guy makes shots right at the basket. So it’s it’s tough to compare those guys. I I I probably flip a coin. If I was the Celtics, if basically this, would I trade Peyton Pritchard for Walker Kesler? I would absolutely consider it. Just above Peyton Pritchard, Nikquil Alexander Walker. I would not trade Peyton Pritchard for Nikil Alexander Walker. I don’t think I don’t think I don’t think I definitely wouldn’t trade him for PJ Washington. I would consider trading him for Devin Vel. I think I would trade him for Deon Vel. But you also got to consider Pritchard is making such a elite elite team friendly contract right now that it’s hard to justify trading him for literally anybody in this league. If the if the guys are making the same amount of money, would I trade Peyton Pritchard for him? No. Him? Yes. Him? No. Yeah. No, I wouldn’t trade him for Deon Vel. I think I would. Look, Payton Pritchard no doubt will rise on this list, I think, with the opportunity that he’s going to get this upcoming season. Um he’s going to be the CI starting point guard, plain and simple. He’s gonna get a lot of run. Uh he’s been one of the most durable players in the NBA in his career as well. So like who knows guy like Derek White getting shut gets shut down for a couple of weeks because get tweaks his knee. But I don’t know want to take their time with it and probably don’t mind losing a good good number of games this season. Payton PR is going to have be out there no matter what. I don’t think that he is going to be a fan of load managing or taking time off that he doesn’t need to take. Uh so Pritcher is going to be playing a lot of basketball this year. I think he’s going to be a lot higher uh of a rank and basically everybody’s list across the board this time next year. We’re going all the way up to basically the top. Now Derek White was the 26th ranked player in the NBA per ESPN. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. This makes me want to trade him even less. I I I I love this. super super cool here. Uh right behind Derek White play people that ESPN thought that Derrick White was better than Jiren Jackson Jr., Scotty Barnes, Trey Young, Tyrese Maxi, and Carl Anthony Towns. So there seemed to value the two-way ability of Derek White here over a guy like a Trey Young or a Tyrese Maxi. Even a guy like Carl Anthony Towns who isn’t the best defender all around. Then you got a guy like Jiren Jackson who, you know, his his offensive game is is is it’s interesting. I I I should say uh Scotty Barnes kind of fell off a little bit. I would take Derek White over Scotty Barnes personally. Um Towns and Maxi is where I get dicey, but mad respect to Dererick White for getting the 26 overall spot here. Just above Derek White. I would take him over a couple of these guys. Not all of them though. Shenon, due to the age, I would absolutely trade Derek White for Shenon if they’re making the same money. Homegrren, due to the age, I would. But if you ask me to win a basketball game tomorrow, I’m taking Derek White. Uh, James Harden, I would not absolutely not. I think Derek White probably is. I mean, throw him in a playoff game, he’s absolutely better than James Harden at this point. Seakum, no. Bam. No. That’s I think I think that’s it’s pretty evident. We saw Pascal Seakum be the best a second best player, maybe even the best player, best scorer on a NBA Finals team uh this past season and he was awesome. Good pretty good defensively as well. Bam. We know is an elite elite elite elite defender. Maybe the most underrated in the league even though a lot of people know he’s great. Number 19, Jaylen Brown. We also kind of just went over who the guys right behind Jaylen Brown were as they were right above Derek White. So I would not trade Derek uh Jaylen Brown for basically any of the guys that we just talked about. I think I think he’s clearly above Shenon Holgrren Harden and Adabio. But people that are above Jaylen Brown on this list Jimmy Butler. Uh oh yeah and then right in between uh the bamba bio ranking and Jaylen Brown by the way. Kawhi Leonard he was at 20. I am not trading Jaylen Brown for Kawhi Leonard right now. I mean what a nightmare that is over in Los Angeles just above Jaylen Brown though. Jimmy Butler I would not no absolutely not. Even if I had to win a basketball game tomorrow I’m taking uh Jaylen Brown. Palero. Now we’re talking like I I I would take Palero I think over Jaylen Brown. Devin Booker. Devin Booker as my number two. I think I would take over Jaylen Brown. As my number one, I think I would take Jaylen Brown. And maybe that’s crazy to say because we haven’t even seen it yet and we have seen Booker be the number one, but I just like the two-way ability a little bit more for Brown, especially in an NBA game. Deon Booker, his his Olympic performance is awesome, but you get him in an 82 game NBA season, he ain’t playing a lot of defense. Donovan Mitchell, I’ll take I’ll take D Mitch. He’s made all NBA first team. He’s he’s he’s straight buckets. Um, and then Anthony Davis. I wouldn’t trade in Jaylen Brown for Anthony Davis if they’re making the same money right now, which they’re making close, but uh just too injuryprone for me, too old. Not not really worried about that. So, and then if I had to take uh Brown versus all these guys in a game tomorrow, stacks up with all of them. No doubt about it right there. And he’s just he’s a better defender than one, two, three, and four. That’s the way that’s what I think. What do you guys think? That’s what’s the biggest mistake that ESPN made? Where would you have some of these guys ranked? um as far as where their peers were around them. Let me know down in the comments section if ESPN’s list was right, wrong, or they were uh too high on some of these Celtics. That that could be the case as well. Give me a follow over on Twitter. That will do it for today’s edition of Celtics Day by Chat Sports. Tyler J Smith2 H’s because the name’s common, but I am not. Make sure you are subscribed to the channel as well. Ramp it up for the content on the way to training camp. We’ll see you guys in the next one. And as always, let’s go C’s. [Music]

Boston Celtics rumors on a blockbuster Celtics trade with the Rockets involving Derrick White following the Fran VanVleet injury news is what today’s show centers around. Celtics trade rumors have been quiet especially on the Derrick White front during the Celtics offseason, but with the Rockets in NBA Finals contention and needing a guard, the Celtics and Rockets could be good trade partners considering the all the Celtics roster moves, the Jayson Tatum injury and the Rockets draft asset stash they have right now. Celtics Today host Tyler Smith breaks down all the latest Celtics news and rumors on Derrick White, Bill Simmons and the ESPN NBA Top 100 list on today’s Boston Celtics YouTube video.

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Celtics-Rockets Trade Idea via Bill Simmons & Zach Lowe:
Celtics Receive: Reed Sheppard (G), Fred VanVleet (G), 2027 PHX 1st, 2027 BKN Swap, 1-2 HOU 1st’s
Rockets Receive: Derrick White (G)

Boston Celtics On ESPN NBA Top 100 Players list:
97. Payton Pritchard
26. Derrick White
19. Jaylen Brown

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NBA Insider Zach Lowe On Celtics Trading Derrick White
“It’s a tough phone call to Tatum. On the other hand, Tatum’s an NBA title, several 1st-Team All-NBA appearances and is slated to make $71.5 MM in 2029-30. So I would hope that he would see the bigger picture”

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Celtics Today is a give and take show! We give you these questions and you give your takes in the comments below:
– Would you make this Derrick White trade? Type ‘A’ for Accept, ‘D’ for Decline
– Biggest mistake on ESPN’s Top 100 list so far?

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– 🚨Celtics Make MULTIPLE Roster Moves Before Training Camp | Boston Celtics News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFoHiQRCDaM
– 🚨MAJOR Jayson Tatum Update | Boston Celtics News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iksAIBA6kiU

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23 comments
  1. Now why tf would we. Want any of those players.yo get rid of white. Fred babbler injured. Defense is trash Sheppard defense is trash. All. Them are. Terrible
    Terrible fucking trade d white is. Big part of another title for us! Not none of these bums

  2. Yo this is why I stop tuning in to all Celtics trade rumors @ this point it’s all doofus ideas in my opinion our team is set and I’m even ok with Anfernee Simons staying on the roster as a Starter or Bench Stay Read Leader

  3. They say a good trade helps both teams, then this is a bad trade cuz it hurts both teams.

    Why would the Rocks trade their only remaining point guard without getting one in return? Unless they are convinced Reed is a bust, which is insane given they refused to trade him all summer, it doesn't make sense. It's like a football team in desperate need of cornerbacks trading their best one for a nosetackle.

    Unless the Cs are sure Pritchard is a bust, which is insane at this point, and you can't unload Simons, why would you trade your best healthy player for two more point guards, one who is out for the year? You are basically giving up DW, a terrific player still in his prime, for a haul of drft picks and two players you really don't need. Four point guards and no shooting guard, you gotta be kidding.

    They need a point guard then they take Simons or no deal. The Rocks are a defensive minded team and I get that they don't want him, but if I'm Brad they hafta take Simons.

    Rumor around Oregon is the Rocks want Jrue Holiday. That makes sense. Think of how good the Rocs would be with KD and JH.

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