During the 2025 playoffs, Celtics’ Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles. It was an unfortunate injury for the All-Pro PF. He’s set to miss most of, if not all of the 2025-26 season.
Knowing Tatum is out, Boston will turn to Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to lead the way. White has taken his game to another level since he was traded to the Celtics. In 2025-26, one NBA insider has predicted a carrer-best season for Derrick White. Jay King of The Athleitc believes White will be a first time all-star in the upcoming regular season.
Derrick White will have an expanded role with Boston in 2025-26
Derrick White All-Star Season Loading pic.twitter.com/nSsc4XP8nZ
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) October 19, 2025
At the 2021-22 deadline, the Spurs traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics. White spent the first five and a half seasons of his career with San Antonio. He played in 237 games for the Spurs and made 155 starts. Derrick White has spent the last four seasons as a member of the Celtics. White has been a key role player for Boston. He’s one of the top pound-for-pound defenders in the NBA. The 31-year-old has finished top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his last two seasons.
During his 2024-25 campaign, Derrick White played and started in 76 of Boston’s 82 games. He averaged a career-high 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game along with 4.8 assists. His 12.6 field goals attempted per game was tied for the highest of his career. With Jayson Tatum out in 2025-26. Derrick White is set up to have a dominant campaign.
Derrick White did a bit of everything in tonight’s W 🍀
33 points9 boards6 dimes4 swats6 triples pic.twitter.com/uINysNLjSp
— NBA (@NBA) October 16, 2025
Recently, NBA insider Jay King of The Athletic shared his “15 bold predictions” for the 2025-26. King beleives’s Boston’s Derrick White will be a first-time all-star this season. He pointed to White’s 27.8% usage rate in the preseason. While stats from the presesaon don’t always carry over to the regular season, White is in line to be a leader for Boston.
Derrick White was almost an all-star during the 2024-25 season. That’s how well he was playing for the Celtics. However, the Cavaliers had three players make the all-star game last season. It would have been increidbly tough for two East teams to each have three players selected. While Jayson Tatum misses time, Derrick White is ready to step up and see an increased workload. In three preseason games he averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. If he can have that type of production in the regular seaosn, White will surlet get his first all-star nod.
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