​The Boston Celtics are currently getting at several of their more impressive young players in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.While the Celtics’ recent draft picks, two-way players and G-Leaguers are competing in the Summer League, Boston’s reworked core will be attempting to get back into title contention the upcoming season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Celtics traded decade-long-tenured wing Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason in return for Paul George and draft picks.A consistent part of the team’s core over the last several years that will return for this upcoming season will be point guard Derrick White.White has been a member of Boston since 2022 and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive team thrice since joining the Celtics: twice to the second-team (2023-24) and once on the first team (2026). He won the NBA Finals with Boston in 2024.White has been one of the most respected players on the team during his four-season tenure with Boston, with his understanding of the game being a common credit to him among coaches.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhite was a part of Summer League Celtics head coach Amile Jefferson’s staff for a game, and Jefferson had a high praise for White as a potential head coach in the league one day.”He’s such a good guy, man,” Jefferson said in an interview. “Me and him have gotten really close. Love that dude. Obviously, he’s incredible off the court and more incredible on the court. Me and him have a good relationship, we talked about it. … Really good for our guys to see him doing that, to be around him, to share his knowledge with him and then to just motivate them on the bench. … He’s a natural. If he wanted to be, he’d be a head coach. I truly believe that. If he ever wants to do it, he’d be amazing. He has just great feel for people. Obviously we all know how cerebral he is and his basketball mind. He’s a natural. He’d be amazing at it.”This past season, White’s ninth in the NBA, he averaged 16.5 points across 77 games on 39.4% shooting from the floor. He also averaged 4.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhite’s NBA championship with Boston is the only one of his career. He spent five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to the Celtics on Feb. 10, 2022.Remember to join our CELTICS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Celtics fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that’s free too!