The Boston Celtics and All-Defensive guard Derrick White have agreed to a massive four-year, $125.9 million contract extension, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
On the eve of his 30th birthday, the Celtics have rewarded White for his contributions since joining the franchise during the 2021-22 season. In Boston, White has turned himself into one of the best all-around two-way guards that can make an impact in just about any facet of the game. Aside from making the All-Defensive team in consecutive seasons, White has shot 38.0 percent from three-point range with the Celtics.
It was expected that the two sides would come to terms on a new, long-term contract extension this offseason simply because of how valuable White is. Without him, the Celtics would not have been as dominant a team as they were, and there is no telling whether they would have won the 2024 NBA Finals. After agreeing to this contract with White, the Celtics now have five players on their active roster making an average of at least $30 million per season.
As has been the case each of the last few seasons, White proved to be an instrumental part of the Celtics' overall success this season. His fingerprints were all over their 64-win regular-season achievements, and White stepped up in the playoffs by averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
Considering that White has been arguably the Celtics' most important player given all the hats he wears, it shouldn't come as a shock to see the organization tie him down to a long-term deal that pays him an annual average value of roughly $31.5 million per season. White has put the Celtics in a position to contend for many championships over the next few seasons, which is why he is the latest recipient of a new deal in Boston.
Implications of Celtics signing Derrick White long-term
With White signing his new contract, the Celtics will now turn their attention to five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum and his upcoming contract extension with the team. The former third overall pick is set to earn a supermax contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the NBA.
It also remains a strong possibility that the Celtics will look to agree to terms on a new extension with sharpshooter Sam Hauser as well.
Not only will the Celtics be well into the second tax apron for the 2024-25 season, but long-term costs are suddenly going to become a problem for this franchise down the line. The team's entire starting five are making an average of over $30 million per season, which will lead the Celtics to have to make some major financial decisions after next year.
At the end of the day, winning is all that matters in the NBA. The Celtics have proven that they can win at the highest level possible, which is why this organization is all-in on their core group that recently won the 2024 NBA Finals. While they may face hefty tax bills and penalties in the future, the Celtics' only goal is to win as many championships as they can right now.
A new contract extension for White signals just that.
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