San Antonio’s Derrick White was one of the breakout players in the bubble, leading the Spurs in scoring at 18.9 points per game and shooting 39.3% from three in the seeding games.
He did it all on a dislocated toe in his left foot.
Thursday, White had surgery to “correct a dislocation of his left second toe suffered prior to the NBA restart in Orlando,” the Spurs announced. White is expected to be healthy and ready to play next season (whenever that begins).
White was thrust into more of a playmaking role in the Spurs smaller, guard-dominantly lineups Gregg Popovich turned to when LaMarcus Aldridge could not play in the bubble. He thrived and averaged five assists a game. San Antonio envisions White, Dejounte Murray (who signed an extension last summer), and Lonnie Walker IV as part of the future and put them to the test in Orlando — and the Spurs almost kept their playoff streak alive, winning five games.
White is eligible for an extension to his rookie contract this offseason, if he and the Spurs can agree to a number. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested four-years, $52 million would be fair. Maybe. It’s hard to predict how extensions — or contracts in general — will play out an offseason where the salary cap remains an unknown, and owners will be tentative after having taken a financial bath this season (and with more pain on the horizon).
Whatever happens with his contract, White will be a player to watch next season.