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NBA

Boston Celtics Trade Former All-Star to Portland Trail Blazers

Vince Pensabene photo
By Vince Pensabene · 2 min read
The Boston Celtics Jrue Holiday Jayson Tatum
Nov 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) helps forward Jayson Tatum (0) onto his feet after a foul late during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are going to be looking a lot different next season as they have made the first official move of the 2025 NBA offseason less than 48 hours before the NBA Draft. The team has traded away point guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for shooting guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. Let’s take a deeper dive into what this trade means for both the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers right now.

Boston Celtics Trade Away Jrue Holiday

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (0) controls the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) in the fourth quarter during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics are going to be in an interesting position next season and it will be without Jrue Holiday on the court for them. The Celtics have a projected savings of $40 million in luxury tax money with this deal, which is likely the main reason why they decided to move on from him. ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting that multiple key players on the Boston roster have been in trade talks as well as the new ownership is chipping away at the luxury tax bill.

Boston is not expecting to be much of a competitor next season with Jayson Tatum being out with a torn Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference Semifinals this postseason, making this move a bit more manageable.

Holiday is under contract for two more seasons at $34.2 million next season and $34.8 million in 2026 before having a player option in 2027 for $37.2 million. Holiday is still a good defender and averaged 11.1 points and 3.0 steals in 30.6 minutes per game. For the Trail Blazers, this is getting a veteran to help lead a group of young players as the team navigates a loaded Western Conference. This trade comes after the team reportedly wanted a first-round pick for him.

The Celtics getting Anfernee Simons in this deal means they will have him on an expiring deal at $27.6 million for this upcoming season. He is still only 26 years old and is coming off a season where he averaged 19.3 points while shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc. The defense is still needing to showcase a bit more but this is a move to get some scoring to replace Tatum for the upcoming season. The two second-round picks also are potentially lottery tickets for the team or potentially can be used in other trades down the line as some teams value the quantity of second-round picks.

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