The Kings have a lot of guards, two spots on the court, and not enough minutes to go around. That hasn't stopped Greg Swartz of the Bleacher Report from suggesting Sacramento should make a trade with the Boston Celtics for Derrick White.
Swartz recently published a list of who each team in the NBA should look at as a dream trade target for this season. That included Giannis Antetokounmpo heading to the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks picking up LeBron James, which would be worth it just for the headlines.
It's an interesting list because there are obviously a few huge names on it. Other names aren't at that same superstar level. What they all have in common is that each trade has the potential to make their new teams much better. That's certainly true for the Kings and Derrick White.
Derrick White takes center stage
On Celtics roster with the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it could be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Tatum and Brown are a duo that tend to garner a lot of attention, and for good reason. They are dynamic players who have led the Celtics to an NBA Championship.
If you had to pick the top third best player on a team of all time, Derrick White should be in contention for number one. Without him, Tatum and Brown don't get anything done. They certainly wouldn't have won that championship in 2024.
There's actually an argument to be made that White should be higher on the Celtics no-trade list than either Tatum or Brown. He's an elite playmaker and defender who can carry the team at both ends of the court. As such, it's unlikely that the Celtics would want to trade him. But it's not impossible.
The Kings could use White
Yes, the Kings have way too many guards. That's just a statement of fact at this point, and one the whole league is acutely aware of. Keeping that in mind, Derrick White is a point guard worth making room for. The Kings need his playmaking and defensive acumen rather desperately.
Convincing the Celtics to let White go is no easy task. A trade that includes Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and at least a couple of first round draft picks would be great starting point. Honestly, that might not be enough to get the job done.
The biggest factor is the Celtics' desire to trim their payroll down. Their front office has been on a mission to get that number down to a manageable level since the end of the 2024-2025 post-season. Trading White to the Kings would definitely help with that.