It’s no secret that Jrue Holiday is available on the trade market this offseason as the Celtics look to reduce a daunting luxury tax bill. The veteran guard is already expected to draw interest from the Mavericks and Clippers in the coming weeks. However, one other potential suitor has emerged according to NBA insider Jake Fischer: the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings are under new management this offseason in general Scott Perry. The team also lacks a true starting caliber point guard after dealing away De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs at the trade deadline. That puts in Perry in the market for a new point guard with the Kings linked to Holiday and a couple of other former Celtics point guards in Marcus Smart (Wizards) and Malcolm Brogdon (free agent), according to Fischer.
Holiday is in year two of a four-year extension that he signed with Boston last spring but he’s set to earn an average of $34 million over the next three seasons. That big salary make him a candidate to be moved as Boston works to get under the second apron ($207 million) next season.
MassLive broke down seven potential landing spots for Holiday last month, which did not include the Kings since there is no obvious path to a deal. DeMar DeRozan ($24.5 million) and some salary filler would work for Holiday under CBA trade rules but bringing aboard a 35-year-old DeRozan who lives in the midrange doesn’t exactly fall in line with the Celtics offensive philosophy under Joe Mazzulla.
There are other potential combinations where the math works (Malik Monk and another midrange salary) but Holiday would be an expensive third player for the Kings alongside Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. Smart ($21.5 million) and Brogdon (likely available for portion of mid-level exception) would certainly be less expensive targets.
Brooklyn is the only team that could absorb Holiday’s deal outright into their cap space. Otherwise, the other team involved in acquiring Holiday would need to send out at least $25.9 million in salary for the trade to work under CBA rules if it goes through after July 1st. Holiday is set to make $32.4 million next season.