Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich Friday morning to discuss the team’s trade deadline moves. Listen above for the full interview.
The C’s made three deals total, two of which added new players to the roster. Stevens’ key move was the acquisition of point guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and a first-round pick.
Stevens described the White trade as a complementary move designed to get the most out of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with the hope that White can contribute meaningful minutes in a number of ways on his own.

Derrick White #4 of the San Antonio Spurs in action against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on January 25, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
“Our moves [Thursday] were not without risk, were not without some cost,” Stevens said. “I think my biggest thing is, obviously, how do we accentuate our best players and bring in guys who can really play when it’s all on the line in those biggest moments?
“I think that having a chance to add a guy like Derrick is pretty unique. I mean, he’s just a guy that I think everybody in this basketball community really understands just how valuable he is. His willingness to do all of the little things, make the next right play, and really compete defensively, and [White] has the talent to do more than that, but again, the willingness to play a role in that and the savvy that he plays with should fit in really well with our group.”
The Celtics added another “new” player, in the form of a familiar face: big man Daniel Theis, who comes over from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Dennis Schröder. Stevens felt that the move, which came together at the last minute, illustrated the unpredictability of the trade deadline and the numerous conversations that take place over the course of the season.
“That’s what makes the deadline so fascinating, right? We didn’t think the Theis move was gonna happen,” Stevens said. “We had thought that, after we acquired Derrick, we might do one other small deal. But that thing came up late, but we had talked about Theis as a good fit for how we play for months. Sometimes, you just have to be ready for that.
“Time will tell if those moves were good or not. I don’t think doing something just for the sake of doing something is a good thing. We ended up trading some good prospects and players and picks. So, who knows, we’ll see.”
Reminder: listen to the podcast at the top for the full interview with Stevens on Toucher and Rich.
Recapping the Celtics' trio of moves at the 2022 NBA trade deadline
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.