Over the summer, the Portland Trail Blazers traded Anfernee Simons to the Celtics for Jrue Holiday, moving on from the 26-year-old guard in favor of the 35-year-old. The front office was criticized for its decision, but since then, that stance has changed. Tuesday's trade [makes them look even better](https://ripcityproject.com/blazers-vindicated-jrue-holiday-trade-celtics-sell-low-anfernee-simons), as Boston sent Simons and a second-round pick to Chicago for... Nikola Vučević.
You can't truly compare Holiday and Vučević, as they're two different players who don't play the same position, but one is better than the other, and it's not the one who is traveling from Chicago to Boston right now. Holiday is still an impactful player, and the Celtics hope that Vučević, who is pretty much a non-factor on the defensive end, will be the same for them.
While it doesn't appear that the Trail Blazers are actively shopping Holiday (that doesn't mean a trade won't happen), we do know that the Knicks are interested in his services. Portland has always had an eye on Mikal Bridges, so if there is a trade that happens sometime in the future involving those two players, Joe Cronin will look even more savvy.
Celtics trade former Blazers guard Anfernee Simons to Bulls
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Boston's primary motivation behind the Simons-Vučević trade wasn't just to add another big man to the rotation, but it also puts the team below the first tax apron. The Celtics continued to cut down their payroll, which is how the Blazers ended up with Holiday in the first place. Vučević could be a second half of the season rental, as he's on an expiring contract, as is Simons.
The contract situation caused a lot of confusion about the initial Simons-Holiday trade, as the latter is signed through the 2027-28 season, with a $37.2 million player option he won't turn down. Portland didn't get younger and essentially added an extra two years of salary on his books. While that could still come back to haunt the Blazers (knock on wood), Holiday [has proven otherwise](https://ripcityproject.com/blazers-won-jrue-holiday-anfernee-simons-trade-not-close) this season.
He's averaging 14.3 points, his most since the Bucks first traded him to the Blazers, to go with 4.5 rebounds, 6.7 assists (again, his highest since his Milwaukee days), and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 43% from the field and 35.3% from three on 6.3 attempts per contest. He's done more than enough to prove that he still has it in his 17th season in the league.
If a Holiday trade does happen, whether it be in the coming days or over the offseason, Portland should be able to get more for him than Boston did for Simons.