Colorado Professional Athletes

If there's a Colorado alum dominating NBA offseason chatter this week, it's Derrick White — and the Celtics guard is pulling double duty as both a trade chip and a breakout candidate.

The Durant Proposal

A blockbuster trade concept circulating in NBA circles would send White to the Phoenix Suns as the centerpiece of a deal bringing Kevin Durant to Boston. The idea: pair Durant alongside Jayson Tatum and Paul George to form a new Celtics Big 3, instantly making them a formidable trio on paper. White's combination of two-way versatility and a reasonable contract makes him an attractive trade piece — which is, of course, a double-edged compliment. Being coveted enough to anchor a superstar acquisition says something about his value; being the one shipped out says something about the roster math.

For now, it's a proposal, not a deal. But the fact that White is the name attached to a Durant conversation speaks to how much his stock has risen since Colorado.

The Shooting Leap

Separate from the trade noise, White is drawing attention for what he might do on the court in 2026–27. Analysts predict he's poised to improve his shooting percentages from last season — a meaningful projection for a guard who has gradually evolved from defensive specialist to genuine offensive contributor. If the efficiency numbers tick upward, White becomes harder to move and more central to whatever Boston builds around Tatum and George.

The Bigger Picture in Boston

The Celtics enter the new season with a recognized vulnerability at guard. White, Payton Pritchard, and Mike Conley are the only established options at the position, and Boston's 15th roster spot remains open. Brad Stevens has room to maneuver, but the current depth chart puts significant pressure on White to log heavy minutes and deliver on both ends. That dual burden — potential trade bait by night, starting guard by day — is an unusual offseason limbo, but White has navigated bigger transitions since his days in Boulder.

The Rest of the Buffs

White isn't the only Colorado alum active in the league. Nique Clifford is with the Kings, Tristan Da Silva is on the Magic roster, KJ Simpson landed with the Nuggets, Jabari Walker is with the 76ers, Cody Williams joined the Timberwolves, Spencer Dinwiddie is in Charlotte, and Alec Burks is suiting up for the Heat. None generated the same volume of offseason storylines this week, but the sheer number of Buffaloes on NBA rosters underscores how consistently Colorado develops professional talent.

For now, the spotlight is squarely on White — a player who started his college career in Colorado Springs before transferring to Boulder, and who has spent the years since making himself indispensable enough that rebuilding a championship roster around him feels, at minimum, plausible.

Two Colorado alumni are drawing NBA attention this offseason for very different reasons — one trying to recapture past form, the other arriving with a blank canvas and high expectations.

Derrick White: Can the Celtics Get Their Sharpshooter Back?

The questions surrounding Derrick White heading into the 2026–27 season aren't about his value — they're about which version of him Boston gets. White struggled to shoot efficiently last season, a dip that stood out on a Celtics squad built on precision offense. The saving grace: his defensive impact remained elite, keeping him firmly in the rotation and in Boston's long-term plans.

Those plans, however, have drawn outside noise. A proposed trade circulating this offseason would bring defensive specialist Kris Dunn to Boston, a move that would address the Celtics' perceived thinness at guard — a depth chart that currently leans on White, Payton Pritchard, and Mike Conley. Whether that deal materializes or not, it signals that Boston's front office isn't standing pat, and White will need to reclaim his offensive consistency to cement his standing as the team's primary guard option.

For Buffs fans, the stakes are straightforward: White is the most decorated Colorado alum in the league, and a sharp shooting season would quiet any roster reshuffling chatter fast.

Cody Williams: Timberwolves Bet on Upside

If White's story is about reclaiming a peak, Cody Williams's is about reaching one. The former Colorado forward joined the Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason carrying the kind of potential that makes front offices patient and fan bases optimistic.

Williams arrives with a chance to rewrite his career narrative, according to Sports Illustrated, which detailed what makes his fit in Minnesota compelling. The Timberwolves have built a culture around developing young forwards with positional versatility — a profile Williams fits squarely. His combination of length, movement skills, and offensive feel gives Minnesota a high-upside piece to develop alongside their core.

For a franchise that has made deep playoff runs on the strength of two-way forwards, Williams represents exactly the kind of bet Minnesota likes to make. The question isn't whether the tools are there — it's how quickly they translate.

The Bigger Picture

Colorado doesn't flood the NBA with alumni every draft cycle, so when two Buffs are generating legitimate offseason buzz at the same time, it's worth noting. White and Williams represent opposite ends of the career arc — a proven two-way guard defending his role on a championship contender, and a young forward chasing his ceiling on a team with the infrastructure to help him find it.

Both storylines are worth watching when training camps open. For CU fans, the NBA slate just got a little more interesting.

Two Buffs, Two Very Different Offseason Stories

Colorado's NBA alumni are generating real buzz this offseason — but for starkly different reasons. Derrick White's future in Boston is suddenly murky, while Cody Williams is quietly building a case to stick on a contender's roster in Minnesota.

Derrick White: The Next Celtic Out the Door?

The Celtics already shook the league when they dealt Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft capital. According to a Celtics insider on Locked on Celtics, White may be next. The insider cast serious doubt on White's long-term future in Boston, suggesting the veteran guard could be moved before the season tips off.

The trade speculation has teeth. One proposal making the rounds would send a White-led package to Sacramento in exchange for Domantas Sabonis — a pitch that would fundamentally reshape Boston's roster construction. For a Celtics front office clearly in reshaping mode, White's combination of defensive versatility and a manageable contract makes him exactly the kind of movable asset that draws calls.

White has been one of the more underrated Buffs in the league, a two-way contributor who carved out a starting role on a championship-caliber team. If Boston does pull the trigger, he'd be joining Brown as the second notable departure from a squad that won it all not long ago. The question isn't whether White has value — it's whether the Celtics still want to pay it.

Cody Williams: Earning His Spot in Minnesota

On the other end of the offseason arc, Cody Williams is no longer just a prospect with upside — he's a Timberwolf with something to prove. Minnesota acquired Williams alongside veteran John Konchar, and in a decision that raised eyebrows, the organization elected to keep the younger, less-proven Williams over the veteran option.

Sports Illustrated broke down three reasons the move makes sense for Minnesota, and the throughline is clear: the Timberwolves are betting on Williams' developmental ceiling over Konchar's known quantity. It's the kind of roster decision that signals front-office conviction in a player who, by most external measures, hasn't fully arrived yet.

For Colorado fans, it's a storyline worth tracking. Williams was considered a high-upside pick coming out of Boulder, and landing with a franchise like Minnesota — built around Anthony Edwards and operating with playoff expectations — is either a pressure cooker or a launching pad. How he responds will define a lot of his early career narrative.

The Broader Buffs Landscape

White and Williams aren't the only Colorado alumni active in the NBA. KJ Simpson is with the Nuggets, Tristan Da Silva is in Orlando, Jabari Walker joined the 76ers, Spencer Dinwiddie is in Charlotte, Alec Burks landed with Miami, and Nique Clifford is in Sacramento. It's a quietly deep cohort — but this week, the headlines belong to the two Buffs navigating the most consequential moments of their offseasons.

White's situation resolves one way or another before opening night. Williams' situation unfolds over the course of a season. Both are worth watching.