Celtics Guard Derrick White Declines Vucevic's $5M Offer for No. 9 Jersey

White says he'd only give up his favorite number for $10 million from the new Celtics center.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 7:39pm

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When Nikola Vucevic joined the Boston Celtics in a trade from the Chicago Bulls, he wanted to take his familiar No. 9 jersey. Vucevic offered Celtics guard Derrick White $5 million to give up the number, but White declined, saying he'd only agree for double that amount. Vucevic ended up settling for No. 4 instead.

Why it matters

Jersey numbers can hold deep personal meaning for athletes, and players are often reluctant to give them up, even for significant sums of money. This story highlights the value players place on their uniform numbers and the lengths they'll go to keep them.

The details

In his Celtics debut, Vucevic recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds and 11 points, plus 4 assists and 2 steals, in a 98-96 win over the Miami Heat. He followed that up with another double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 124-105 victory over his former team, the Bulls.

  • Vucevic reached out to White via text about the No. 9 jersey shortly after being traded to the Celtics.
  • White declined Vucevic's initial $5 million offer to give up the number.
  • Vucevic ended up settling for No. 4 instead of White's No. 9.

The players

Derrick White

A guard for the Boston Celtics who wears the No. 9 jersey, which he refused to give up to new teammate Nikola Vucevic despite a $5 million offer.

Nikola Vucevic

A veteran center who was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Boston Celtics and wanted to wear the No. 9 jersey, which belongs to Derrick White.

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What they’re saying

“$5 million's not enough. If he said $10 [million], yeah — that's fine. [No.] 9 is my favorite number. When I see people wearing number 9 at the Garden, and it's a Nike jersey, I'm like oh, I know that's mine. If there was a special reason he wanted to be [No.] 9, maybe I would consider it... I'm willing to switch for $10 million.”

— Derrick White, Celtics Guard (White Noise Podcast)

The takeaway

This story highlights the personal significance that athletes often place on their jersey numbers, and the lengths they'll go to keep them, even turning down substantial financial offers. It also shows the lengths teams will go to accommodate star players' preferences when it comes to uniform numbers.