Celtics Lose Draft Picks In Adjusted Jrue Holiday, Trail Blazers Deal
The Boston Celtics completed a trade sending Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the trade two weeks ago, commencing a flurry of early-offseason activity for Boston. The NBA insider initially reported that the Celtics would receive Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks for Holiday.
Portland confirmed a finalized deal Monday without the draft capital. The Celtics instead swapped Holiday straight up for Simons. Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian reported that a review of medicals led to the Trail Blazers changing the terms of the original deal but not scrapping it altogether.
It’s the second time the Blazers have traded for Holiday. They acquired him when moving franchise stalwart Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023, only to quickly flip him to the Celtics for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two first-round picks.
Boston’s gamble paid initial dividends when Holiday helped the Celtics win a championship. The point guard registered a career-high 58.1 effective field-goal percentage during the 2023-24 regular season before averaging 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Holiday leaves Boston with 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game through two seasons. The two-time All-Star remains among the league’s most respected defenders at age 35, but Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear changed Boston’s offseason mindset.
Boston traded Holiday, who has three more years left under contract, before sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade also involving the Brooklyn Nets. They later watched free-agent center Luke Kornet sign a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
In Simons, the Celtics receive a 26-year-old guard who averaged 19.3 points for the Blazers last season. The 2018 first-round pick made 215 three-pointers in 70 games.
Monday’s trade announcement also confirmed a number change for Holiday, who will wear No. 5 in Portland after donning No. 4 in Boston.