NBA free agency has officially begun, following the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft last week. The Toronto Raptors added to their promising young core by selecting Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin with the ninth and 39th overall picks.
But before locking in that draft direction, Toronto reportedly tried to swing a trade with the Boston Celtics, a team that had already made major moves by dealing away All-Stars Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
According to Zach Lowe of The Ringer, the Raptors floated an offer to Boston for guard Derrick White — but it didn’t go over well.
“There were reports the Raptors offered the No. 9 pick for Derrick White. I’m told that’s true, but it was a month and a half ago after Jayson Tatum got hurt,” Lowe said. “Boston basically laughed and said, ‘We need way more than the No. 9 pick for Derrick White.’”
Though offloading White’s four-year, $118 million contract could make sense from a cap perspective, the Celtics are not interested in parting with a player so valuable to their current roster — especially not for a single draft pick.
White remains a crucial piece of Boston’s culture and chemistry, and the Celtics appear content to hang onto him rather than trade him for an unknown quantity. In the end, this was a rare case where Boston flat-out declined a deal — and with good reason.