Inside The Spurs

Did Spurs Lose Derrick White Trade to Celtics?

The Celtics are one win away from the NBA Finals.

Jeremy Brener

Did Spurs Lose Derrick White Trade to Celtics?
Did Spurs Lose Derrick White Trade to Celtics? /

The Boston Celtics could reach their first NBA Finals since 2010 Sunday evening, and they wouldn't be there without a little bit of help from the San Antonio Spurs.

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Daniel Dunn, USA TODAY

Derrick White

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Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY

Derrick White

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John E. Sokolowski, USA TODAY

Derrick White

The Spurs traded Derrick White to the Celtics at February's NBA Trade Deadline for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick swap.

Since then, the Celtics have been on an absolute tear. During the regular season, the Celtics went 20-6 in games White suited up for Boston and the team has won 11 of the 16 playoff games needed to win a championship.

White's played in all but one game during Boston's playoff run and even scored 22 points in Friday's Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat.

Given White's success, is it early enough to declare the Celtics the winner of the trade?

Boston clearly looks like a winner here, especially if they are able to win Game 7. And the Spurs haven't had the best return package for White.

Richardson was only brought in the deal to match salaries, and he likely won't resign with the Spurs this offseason.

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David Butler II, USA TODAY

Derrick White

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David Butler II, USA TODAY

Derrick White

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Brad Penner, USA TODAY

Derrick White

Langford played in just four games for the Spurs this season, but he is under contract for one more season before he hits free agency.

The Spurs aren't exactly a loser yet though, but what they do this offseason will determine if they win or lose this trade.

Obviously, the draft pick needs to convey into a steal considering the pick landed at No. 25.

But what they do with White's alleviated cap space will truly determine whether the Spurs won or lost the trade. The biggest benefit for the Spurs in that deal was to get off White's money for three years and flip it into Richardson's expiring contract.

If the Spurs can use that cap space to sign someone like Deandre Ayton or Zach LaVine, then San Antonio will have this trade to thank.

It looks murky for the Spurs when White's performed so well this postseason, but the real ammunition in this deal hasn't even been used yet.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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