Boston Celtics
Trade scenario: Trading Derrick White
In what has become a breakout season, Derrick White has emerged as a key part of the Boston Celtics' success. White nearly made the NBA All-Star team this season and has managed to take his game to an entirely different level for the Celtics during the playoffs. Essentially, White is playing himself into a very big payday in the future. With one year on his contract remaining, that payday could come as soon as this offseason. However, considering the big money that the Celtics already have tied up in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, there's no guarantee Boston can afford to give White the type of money he's worth.
That could ultimately lead to the Celtics electing to trade White before they end up losing him for nothing next summer. Assuming White doesn't fall off the cliff from a production standpoint, White is going to price himself out of a Celtics uniform.
Even if the Celtics end up winning the NBA Championship, trading White is a possibility that the team will have to be prepared for this summer. The last thing Boston needs is to be in danger of losing a player as valuable as White has become for nothing next offseason.