NBA Rumors: Celtics, Derrick White, Magic, Paolo Banchero, Darius Garland, Ty Jerome

Celtics

The Celtics were willing to trade Jaylen Brown. That didn’t mean they were interested in selling off everybody else.

According to Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, Boston received a significant number of calls about Derrick White after moving Brown to Philadelphia. The Celtics listened, as teams generally do, but quickly made it clear White wasn’t going anywhere.

“The guy you’re going to go for, that everyone had their eye on was Derrick White because of the contract and the down year and maybe you can lowball a bit,” one Western Conference executive told Deveney.

Boston apparently wasn’t interested in being lowballed or anything close to it.

“They were not entertaining anything like that,” the executive said. “He is a very popular guy on that team and in that front office.”

So, the Brown trade was a major change. It was not the beginning of a fire sale. With Jayson Tatum back and Paul George arriving, the Celtics still view themselves as contenders. White remains a large part of that plan.

Magic

Could Paolo Banchero eventually become the next NBA star to change teams?

Sam Amick of The Athletic mentioned Banchero while discussing that question on The Athletic NBA Daily, as relayed by Deveney. That is not the same as reporting that Orlando is shopping him, of course. It does, however, introduce another name to the rumor conversation.

Deveney noted that the Magic are facing some potentially uncomfortable financial decisions. Banchero and Franz Wagner are on max contracts, Desmond Bane carries another sizable deal, Jalen Suggs has four years remaining, and Anthony Black will eventually need to be paid.

That’s manageable if Orlando becomes a legitimate contender. It becomes considerably less comfortable if the Magic remain a good-but-not-great team that can’t win a playoff series.

Banchero is the biggest name and presumably would bring the best return. He also has efficiency questions, having shot 44.9 percent from the field and 31.7 percent on threes for his career.

Again, nobody is saying a trade is imminent. But if Orlando stalls, something eventually may have to give.

Guards worth monitoring

Deveney also identified several guards who could generate trade discussion.

Darius Garland could become available if the Clippers decide to turn veterans into draft capital following the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap scandal. Garland has two years and $87 million remaining, and the question is whether anyone would surrender multiple first-round picks for him.

Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe would normally be an intriguing possibility after averaging 20.8 points last season. His torn meniscus likely takes him out of the conversation for now, though the Trail Blazers still have a crowded backcourt.

Then there’s Ty Jerome, who averaged 19.7 points and shot 42 percent from deep for Memphis last season. His contract, two years and $19 million with a player option, should have appeal.

The Grizzlies need to trim their roster and Jerome is 29, making him an obvious candidate to be flipped for a future asset. Then again, Memphis doesn’t exactly have point guards to spare.

Such is the September rumor mill. Everybody can be available, right up until his team actually needs him.