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By Alex Kirschenbaum
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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After claiming their record-breaking 18th NBA title last month, the Boston Celtics have wasted little time locking down their starting lineup and some critical reserves long-term.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Celtics have just inked two-time All-Defensive Team starting guard Derrick White to a four-season, $125.9 million contract extension, including a player option. Wojnarowski notes that keeping White rostered for an extended period of time had been a huge priority this summer.
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The 6-foot-4 Colorado product is just the latest member of Boston's rotation to get a fresh deal this offseason.
On Sunday, Wojnarowski reported that jump-shooting deep-bench center Luke Kornet inked a new one-year deal with the team, presumably for a $2.8 million veteran's minimum. After the news arrived that starting center Kristaps Porzingis would be on the shelf for five-to-six months following a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg, it became essential for the team to look for frontcourt depth behind 38-year-old primary backup big Al Horford. Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe previously reported that the Celtics picked up the $2.1 million team option for sharpshooting swingman Sam Hauser, and intend to negotiate a contract extension with the 42.4 percent three-point shooter.
Wojnarowski reported last week that Boston intends to sign its best player, All-NBA power forward Jayson Tatum, to a five-year, super-max contract worth in the range of a projected $315 million.
Near the end of the regular season in April, the Celtics signed White's starting backcourt mate Jrue Holiday to a four-year, $135 million contract extension of his own, according to Wojnarowski.
Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and Porzingis, the club's other starters, inked long-term extensions to stay with the Celtics ahead of the start of the team's eventual championship season last summer. Horford is under contract through next season.
White has emerged as a fringe All-Star candidate since arriving in Boston via a trade with the San Antonio Spurs around the deadline of the 2021-22 NBA season. His addition then helped propel the Celtics to its first Finals berth with this core, but he got even better over the next two seasons.
This past season, he was named to his second consecutive All-Defensive Second Team — along with Holiday — and finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Across 73 regular season contests, White averaged 15.2 points (his second-best scoring tally ever) on a borderline elite .461/.396/.901 slash line, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and one steal a night.
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