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Amid ongoing trade talks the Boston Celtics are receiving, the Toronto Raptors have emerged as a real suitor for Derrick White before the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, league sources told ClutchPoints.
Toronto has signaled to teams around the league that they are looking to make a big splash in the trade market to increase their playoff perception in what will be a significantly weaker Eastern Conference during the 2025-26 season.
As part of unexpected discussions held with the Celtics this week, sources say the Raptors created an offer based around the ninth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The expectation is that if Toronto was to swing a deal for White in the coming hours leading up to Wednesday's draft, they would do so with the involvement of other teams as part of a larger, multi-team trade.
Masai Ujiri and his front office have continued to search for ways to improve their roster after trading for former All-Star wing Brandon Ingram in February. White, who is known for his secondary scoring and impactful defensive presence, would immediately provide valuable championship experience to a younger Raptors team wanting to improve with Scottie Barnes as their focal point.
White, 30, has four more years left on his contract and will make $28.1 million during the 2025-26 season. This past season in Boston, he averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range.
The Celtics are now in new territory.
For years, Boston has stood at the top of the Eastern Conference as a yearly championship threat. Now, in the wake of Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury, ownership change, and second-apron restrictions limiting the organization's immediate potential, both Jaylen Brown and White have become the focal point of trade discussions across the NBA.
Brad Stevens has already been busy on the trade market before this year's draft.
Two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday was traded by the Celtics to the Portland Trail Blazers late Monday night in a deal that sent Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks to Boston. One day later, Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that brought Georges Niang and a second-round pick to the Celtics.
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By making these two trades, the Celtics have already moved out of the second apron and have saved themselves close to $180 million in tax penalties, according to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks.
Whether the Celtics would seriously consider further trades, especially involving White and Brown, has been the big question teams have been discussing in recent days. These are the two most valuable players in Boston entering next season, and some rival franchises are of the belief that these players are obtainable right now, sources said.
However, Boston has maintained their position, for the time being, of retaining White and Brown for the 2025-26 season. That has not stopped teams from throwing significant offers their way before Wednesday's draft.
Outside of a multitude of teams calling about White, there has also been interest in Brown, who is entering the second year of a $300 million extension with the Celtics. The Utah Jazz, spearheaded by former Celtics executives Danny Ainge and his son, Austin Ainge, made an aggressive push in the last couple of days for 2024 Finals MVP, multiple league sources told ClutchPoints.
While the exact terms of the offer were not presented, league sources hinted at trade proposal involving the fifth pick in the draft and multiple contributing talents in the final years of their contracts, which would provide immediate cap relief to Boston in 2026 to build around Tatum.
All options are on the table for the Celtics before the start of Wednesday's NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
