Celtics to Trade Jrue Holiday to Trail Blazers

The Boston Celtics are reportedly finalizing a deal to send two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. In exchange, the Celtics will receive guard Anfernee Simons and two future second-round draft selections, according to reports.

The Trail Blazers are set to reacquire Holiday, whom they initially obtained from the Milwaukee Bucks in the Damian Lillard trade last year before subsequently trading him to Boston.

Holiday is slated to earn $32.4 million in the upcoming season and is guaranteed approximately $72 million between the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. He previously inked a four-year, $134.4 million contract extension with the Celtics in April of this year.

Simons is expected to join the Celtics with his contract nearing its end. This transaction is projected to save Boston approximately $40 million in luxury tax expenses next season.

Sources indicate that the Celtics are considering further player movements following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury during the playoff’s second round.

Holiday made a significant impact during his initial season with the Celtics, contributing to their NBA title victory. He recorded a career-best 42.9 per cent from the three-point line in the 2023-24 season and earned All-Defensive team recognition.

Holiday was originally drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 17th overall pick in 2009. Throughout his career, spanning 1,037 games (956 starts), he has averaged 15.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. He secured his first NBA championship with Milwaukee in 2021 and has been named to the All-Defensive team six times.

Simons, aged 26, was chosen as the 24th overall pick by the Blazers in the 2018 NBA draft. In his seven seasons with Portland, covering 389 games (213 starts), he has averaged 15.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds.