LAS VEGAS — Derrick White said he was at home when he found out the Celtics stunningly traded Jaylen Brown to the Sixers. It’s a move that will be dissected plenty in the future and one that will likely be franchise-altering going forward.

But all White could think about was the appreciation he had for Brown, who helped acclimate him to Boston. White said he reached out to the five-time All-Star following the trade to say “thank you for everything he did for me.”

“Obviously, it’s tough to see someone get traded and JB’s been an amazing teammate,” White said. “An amazing friend to me. He kind of welcomed me when I got traded to Boston. Always thankful for my time that I spent with JB. It’s obviously always tough to get traded and I know how that feels. But also getting (Paul George) — I mean, he killed us the whole series it felt like. It’s kind of like mixed emotions. Sad to see him go.”

White was traded to the Celtics in February 2022 from the Spurs, meaning he was a teammate of Brown’s ever since then. There were plenty of highs together, including the 2022 NBA Finals appearance and the 2024 NBA championship. Brown was the longest-tenured Celtic at the time of the trade, having played 10 years in Boston.

The Celtics acquired George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks in exchange for Brown. In the short-term, George should be a nice veteran piece who proved he can still be a playoff contributor. As White mentioned, George had a solid showing in the first round against the Celtics last playoffs.

“When the ball goes up, whenever our first game is, everybody is going to expect us to win and want us to win,” White said. “We’re going to have the same mindset and expectations and we’re going to have to go out there and attack it.”

White had a mixed bag performance this past season. His shooting was an obvious storyline, hitting just 39.4% of his field goals and 32.7% on his 3-pointers. White also struggled immensely in the first round against the Sixers where his shot abandoned him. But he was also an All-Defensive first team performer for the first time in his career, showcasing his value on that end of the court.

The Celtics will look different come next season without Brown. While Jayson Tatum is back in the fold, White will be expected to have big responsibilities once again. White also spoke about how he wanted to go into the offseason with a renewed mindset after what he considered a subpar season.

“I just wanted to attack the summer and get better,” White said. “I don’t think I played that great last year. I think that’s what I’ve been focusing on this whole summer. So that hasn’t really changed with the trade.”

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