Rival team kept tabs on Derrick White ahead of Celtics contract extension

The Boston Celtics haven’t left anything casual for Derrick White in the 2024 offseason. With his current contract set to expire in 2025, the Celtics gave him an extension before he had a chance to become a free agent.

Since arriving in Boston in 2022, White has established himself as one of the NBA’s best two-way defenders. There’s no denying his role in the Celtics winning their 18th title. That in itself is a good reason to lock him up while they have inside information.

However, knowing that other teams could compete with them for his services likely made working out an extension even more urgent. The Celtics were lucky to get it done because there was at least one potential suitor waiting for White if he became a free agent.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Rockets are targeting White ahead of his extension. Once he left the market, their offseason plans changed.

“On the Rockets’ side, once the team saw Donovan Mitchell and Derrick White extend their contracts over the summer and bypass the free agent system, they moved away from their desire to maintain cap space for 2025,” sources said, Windhorst wrote.

Former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is currently the head coach of the Rockets, so his interest in reuniting with White makes sense given their brief success together in Boston.

Reports like this show that teams that want to win want guys like White around him because of what he brings to the floor. He’s not one of the best players in the league, but he’s someone winning teams want to have their best players on.

That’s why teams like Houston plan their offseason around him and why Boston was lucky enough to resolve his contract situation before it became an issue.