While Derrick White helped lead the Celtics back to the NBA Finals, the Spurs didn’t come out as trade losers in the long-run.

 

No Derrick White trade, no Victor Wembanyama for the San Antonio Spurs. If San Antonio’s parting with Dejounte Murray in June of 2022 signified they were all in on landing Wembanyama, the trade deadline deal that previous winter with a Boston Celtics squad that’s again headed to the NBA Finals started the plan.

The Spurs were in the midst of a season that would lead to the NBA Play-in Tournament when they sent White to the current Eastern Conference champions for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a top-four protected pick in 2022 and the rights to a first-round pick swap in 2028. The former Colorado Buffalo has since helped Boston to their only two Finals appearances of the Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown era.

What the Derrick White trade meant for Spurs

Spurs CEO R.C. Buford has said he first saw Wembanyama in May of 2019 when the then 6-foot-11, 15-year-old jumped off the page based on what he could already do. Because of NBA eligibility rules, the two-time league Executive of the Year knew Wembanyama wouldn’t be eligible for the draft until 2023.

By the time San Antonio headed into the 2021-2022 season, they did so in a rebuild. Having just traded then four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who had arrived as part of the infamous Kawhi Leonard trade three years before, the Spurs would rely on Murray, White, Lonnie Walker, Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, the latter two of which are still on the team.

Halfway through that season, the Spurs were 15 games under .500, not good enough to project for an outright playoff spot, but decent enough to contend for the still novel Play-In Tournament. That February the Silver and Black sent away Poeltl and White, eventually finishing with a 34-48 record before losing a play-in contest for the second straight year.

Two months later and twelve months away from the NBA Draft that would feature Wembanyama, the Spurs traded Murray during a stretch in which they didn’t significantly add to the roster outside of the draft. They selected Blake Wesley at No. 25 with Boston’s pick from the White trade.

Without White, Murray, Poeltl and Walker, whom they allowed to leave via free agency, the Spurs went 22-60 and tied for the best odds to get the top pick in a lottery where the 7-foot-4 French marvel would be waiting.

What the White trade has meant for the Celtics

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) goes in for a shot against Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) in the second half at Frost Bank Center.Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Three months after arriving in Beantown, White enjoyed several big moments in the 2022 playoffs. He helped a Celtics core that had reached the conference finals in three of the previous seasons clear that hurdle. Boston lost the title series in six games to the Golden State Warriors.

Two more conference finals appearances later, despite the additions of Kristaps Porzingis (who’s been hurt recently) and Jrue Holiday, White has emerged as an even bigger part of a franchise that’s facing the Dallas Mavericks for the 2024 championship.

Given that San Antonio’s biggest direct dividends from trading White is the back-up point guard Blake Wesley, it’s apt to say Boston won the trade – the key word being “direct.” Because the same guy who’s helped these Celtics reach levels they hadn’t, probably would’ve helped the pre-Wemby Spurs win more games.

No Derrick White trade, no Wembanyama.