Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce shared candid thoughts about the Boston Celtics’ decision to trade Jrue Holiday in the latest episode of All the Smoke—a move they believe isn’t quite the slam dunk many think it is.
“I don’t know if I would’ve given up Jrue Holiday for scoring,” Garnett said, expressing skepticism over the deal that sent Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for young shooting guard Anfernee Simons.
Simons, a former first-round pick now entering his sixth NBA season, averaged 19.3 points per game last year. While he’s undeniably a dynamic scorer, he lacks the size and defensive versatility that made Holiday so valuable.
In Garnett and Pierce’s eyes, that’s a crucial loss for Boston.
“Eye-to-eye it looks like you gave up scoring for defense, but you don’t see all the small intangible things that Jrue Holiday brings,” Garnett said.
Pierce agreed, adding that while fans might be dazzled by Simons’ scoring averages, they’re overlooking the intangible elements that bring a team together.
“People on the outside looking like, ‘Oh, that’s a good one, oh, he’s averaging 20…’ but they don’t understand the little intangibles,” Pierce said. “The locker room, the whole DNA of the team shifts a little bit when somebody on the outside comes to your club and think they can do the same thing as they did over there over here, that’s ain’t how this works. That ain’t the impact we need over here.”
Pierce also noted that the Celtics seem intent on shedding salary in what could become a transitional “gap year” as the team contends with Jayson Tatum’s injury. In that context, adding Simons’ scoring punch may help fill the offensive void left by Tatum’s absence.
Simons has emerged as a key piece for Portland over the past four seasons, averaging more than 17 points per game since 2021-22. Drafted 24th overall in 2018 out of IMG Academy, the guard became a full-time rotation player in his second season and has been a regular starter since 2021-22.
The Celtics made their first significant offseason move early last week, acquiring Simons and two second-round picks from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Holiday. The trade provides Boston with long-term financial flexibility by moving Holiday’s contract while bringing in a talented young scorer to bolster the roster.