Celtics Star Derrick White Reacts To Offseason Changes

Derrick White won’t take the floor alongside some of his favorite Celtics teammates next season, but the veteran guard understands that’s all part of the business.

Boston was forced into a cost-cutting offseason, as confirmed by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. It resulted in key contributors like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis being traded with Luke Kornet — and likely Al Horford — signing elsewhere.

“It’s always tough to see guys leave, especially people that you won a championship with and had so many great battles with,” White told NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg during the “Celtics Talk Podcast” released Wednesday.

“Having a different team and having those guys leave is kind of difficult, but it’s part of the business and I’m confident the guys that we have coming in and the guys that we still have returning. So it’s gonna be a lot of fun, and it’s gonna be a different challenge, but I think that’s just the great thing about basketball.”

White was as popular in trade rumors as anyone else. He reportedly had multiple teams including the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors vying for his services. The Celtics rebuffed those proposals and others, according to multiple reports.

White is happy Boston did.

But the 31-year-old nevertheless knows the group will look a lot different without Holiday, Porzingis, Kornet and others.