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Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden on January 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Boston Celtics were wise not to move Derrick White last offseason when they overhauled the roster — trading Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and letting Al Horford walk — to gain financial relief. That’s because White clearly bleeds green through and through.
On the latest “White Noise” podcast, White revealed that his new teammate, Nikola Vucevic, jokingly offered him $5M for his No. 9 jersey. In response, White said he’d never part with the number to honor Celtics fans who’ve bought his No. 9 jersey.
“Nine is my favorite number,” White said. “When I see my people wear No. 9 in like the Garden and it’s like a Nike jersey, then I’m like, ‘Ah, I know that’s mine.’ So there’s something special about that.”
“There’s something kind of special about looking up and seeing all that. My fans know me as No. 9. If there was a special reason he [Vucevic] wanted to be No. 9, maybe I would consider it. But I kind of want to stay nine.”
Derrick White: A Celtic For Life?
White, who played a key role in helping the Celtics hang Banner No. 18, is widely considered a part of the franchise’s Big 3 alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
While it’s customary for even long-tenured players to be moved in the NBA, the C’s obviously value White to the point where they view him as an untouchable piece. Per multiple insiders, the C’s shot down several offers for White last offseason when they made wholesale changes to the roster by getting rid of key core pieces like Horford, Holiday, Porzingis and Luke Kornet.
“Those two guys [Brown and White] are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them,” Celtics front-office executive Mike Zarren said last June, via The Boston Herald.
“I’m not sure where all this reporting came from, but those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.”
Derrick White’s DPOY Chances
Many analysts feel White makes a strong case to win his first Defensive Player of the Year award this season, proving why the Celtics did not trade him last year.
White ranks seventh in the league in defensive win shares and fifth in individual defensive rating (min. 30 minutes), with opponents scoring only 108.6 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor. When White is off the floor, the Celtics have given up 116.9 points, 8.3 more points than when he’s on the floor. Furthermore, the Celtics rank ninth in the league in defensive rating in large part thanks to White, who has picked up a huge slack following the departures of Holiday and Porzingis.
Some felt that White, averaging a career-high 17.2 points and 5.6 assists, had a legitimate case to be named a first-time All-Star this season. White feels that a dip in his efficiency — he has shot a career-low 39% from the field — hurt his chances.
“Obviously, this year has been kind of crazy and not shooting the way that I wanted to,” White said on his podcast, via Sports Illustrated. “I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping a positive mindset and doing other things to help the team win. And if I shot it the way I know I’m capable of, I probably would be [an All-Star].”
For all intents and purposes, Derrick White is a keeper, and the Celtics know it.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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