Warriors trade interest in ideal Celtics guard will only further frustrate fans

The Golden State Warriors raid of the Boston Celtics this offseason goes beyond their pursuit of veteran center Al Horford, with the franchise reportedly holding interest in a blockbuster trade for Derrick White.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer on Wednesday, "Golden State definitely called for Derrick White too" as the Celtics looked to manage their enormous payroll in the wake of Jayson Tatum's devastating torn achilles and a second-round playoff exit against the New York Knicks.

The Warriors inability to land Derrick White will only further frustrate fans

White would have been a perfect back court partner for Stephen Curry, with his versatile skillset on both ends proving so valuable in Boston's success over recent years. The 6'4" guard is coming off a career-best season where he averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 38.4% shooting from 3-point range (over nine attempts per game), while also finishing 10th in Defensive Player of the Year.

Fischer didn't go into details on what a trade may have looked like, but did note that deals for White and Jaylen Brown never really got close. The Celtics now appear to be pushing on with both Brown and White as Tatum recovers from injury, having addressed their payroll situation by trading veterans Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

This reported interest in White will only further frustrate Golden State fans who are still waiting for the franchise to make their first move since free agency opened over two weeks ago. Missing out on White is just another example of the Warriors being linked to a player, but ultimately being unable to get a deal over the line.

The news comes after Golden State also missed out on another high-level two-guard in the form of Bradley Beal on Wednesday, with the 3x All-Star rejecting interest from the Warriors and others to sign a two-year deal with the L.A. Clippers.

Reported interest in White and Beal does signify Golden State's desire to add back court reinforcements this offseason, having also been linked to a number of players that remain available in free agency.

The Warriors are expected to reunite with former guard De'Anthony Melton on a minimum deal, while they also reportedly reached out to Damian Lillard in the aftermath of his stunning departure from the Milwaukee Bucks.

Malcolm Brogdon, Ben Simmons and Seth Curry are also options that have been linked to the Warriors, but who they ultimately end up with is unlikely to be known until they find a resolution with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.