Celtics Trade Holiday to Blazers in Salary-Saving Move

The Boston Celtics are reshaping their roster, trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. This strategic move is designed to alleviate salary cap pressures and position the team for sustained success in the future.

The Trade Details

In a deal confirmed Monday, the Celtics will send Holiday to Portland. They will acquire Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. This trade provides Boston with approximately $4.7 million in cap savings for next season. Additionally, it frees up significant future salary commitments.

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Holiday has three years and $104.4 million remaining on his contract, which includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. Simons, on the other hand, will be on an expiring contract of $27.7 million next season. This transaction appears to be the opening move as the Celtics must still shed almost $20 million to get under the second luxury tax apron.

The Players Involved

Holiday, a versatile defensive player, played a critical role in the Celtics’ championship run in his first season with the team. However, his scoring and assist averages declined in his second season. He also experienced a dip in three-point shooting. His age and contract made him an obvious trade target.

“Being able to see a coach that has my best interests (in mind). And you could see it and you could hear it, which a lot of times maybe some players don’t get a chance to see that from a coach. So he definitely had my best interest (at heart) from the beginning. And he just always looked out for me.”

—Jrue Holiday, Former Player

In exchange, Boston gains Simons, an offensive-minded guard, who is a career 38.1-percent three-point shooter. The Trail Blazers are looking to integrate Scoot Henderson, a young guard, which may have contributed to the decision to move on from Simons. According to Statista, NBA teams are increasingly focused on managing payroll effectively.

Portland’s Perspective

The Trail Blazers briefly acquired Holiday previously. During this time, Chauncey Billups, the coach, connected with Holiday over what Billups called “a great conversation.” During this conversation, Holiday expressed his preference to move to a team that could compete.

Portland hopes Holiday will contribute both defensively and provide leadership. The team’s leadership has struggled, and Holiday brings championship experience. His presence could boost the Blazers’ defense, aligning them with the developing identity they seek.

Portland’s decision to take on Holiday’s contract raises questions, given Henderson’s development. Is the team investing in mentorship or unsure of Henderson’s readiness?