The Celtics payroll got a little pricer on Monday night for the 2023-24 season after Derrick White hit a key milestone in his contract. The starting guard knocked down four 3s on his way to tallying 19 points and nine rebounds in Boston’s 118-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. The hot shooting earned White a noteworthy boost to his salary for the 2023-24 season as the veteran crossed 185 made 3s for the season, which awards him a bonus worth an extra $500,000 for this salary this season.
The boost bumps his earnings for this season up to $18.85 million since the bonus was deemed unlikely entering the year per Bobby Marks of ESPN.com. White had never hit that 3-point mark in his entire career before this season.
The bump in salary will cost Celtics ownership a bit more than the $500,000 since the team is already well into luxury tax territory with their current payroll. With tax penalties factored in, White’s bonus will cost Boston well north of $1.5 million in total. That’s a price the team is likely happy to pay for a breakout year for the 29-year-old guard.
Fanatics Sportsbook
10X$100 BONUS BET
BET MATCH BONUS
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)
White is posting a career-best in several individual categories this year including 3-point makes (2.7), rebounds (4.3), block (1.2) and points (15.5) per game. He also looks like a strong candidate to make the NBA All-Defense team as one of the best backcourt rim defenders in the league.
White’s bonus will also have a impact on Boston’s salary cap outlook for next season. The bonus will be included as a likely bonus for White’s salary entering next year so that will come in at $20.6 million for the 2024-25 season. Boston is expected to be well over the luxury tax with their current payroll commitments and anticipation that Jrue Holiday will be re-signed this offseason. White is eligible to sign an extension this summer for up to four seasons.
