The Feb. 5 trade deadline is a ways away, but the Golden State Warriors should avoid scrambling at the last second to attempt a blockbuster deal.
While the franchise could use a youthful center who can stretch the floor and assist Stephen Curry in ball screen situations, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz believes that the Dubs could benefit from reuniting Al Horford with a 31-year-old NBA champion Boston Celtics guard.
“At 31, Derrick White isn’t exactly young anymore but would look like a spring chicken alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford on these Golden State Warriors,” Swartz wrote Thursday.
“White would also be the perfect backcourt partner for a 38-year-old Curry, who probably isn’t going to be giving All-Defensive efforts on a nightly basis at this stage of his career. White is still one of the most efficient multi-positional defenders in the NBA and perhaps the best shot-blocking guard we’ve seen since Dwyane Wade.”
“A good ball-handler, three-point shooter, and high-IQ player with championship experience, White would go a long way in helping the Warriors chase one last title with this core.”
White, like his superstar teammate Jaylen Brown, is learning how to navigate life without Jayson Tatum, who’s out with an Achilles injury.
Although the franchise has yet to win a game this year, While has stepped up in a big way to begin the year.
The Colorado product is averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game through two contests, serving as a natural tertiary playmaker thrust into a secondary playmaking role.
White isn’t shooting the ball well (31.6% field goal shooting percentage and 29.2% three-point shooting percentage), but his career shooting splits (44.7% field goal shooting and 36.8% three-point shooting) suggest he’ll improve in that regard with time.
White, who won a championship alongside Horford in 2024, would give the Warriors yet another long-range shooting threat who’s among the most underrated perimeter defenders in the league.
If White appears on the trade market this season, the Dubs should take a stab at acquiring him from the Celtics.
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