Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday (4) and head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP
The Celtics are poised to make significant changes to their roster this offseason after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear amid a looming second apron financial crunch. One valuable veteran Boston is expected to consider moving via trade is Jrue Holiday as the team looks to retool its roster amid new CBA constraints and penalties.
Holiday is expected to be pursued by several teams on the trade market, and a league source tells MassLive that the Los Angeles Clippers are one team expected to show interest in the 34-year-old guard this offseason.
The Celtics outbid several teams, including the Clippers, per sources, for Holiday back in 2023 when the Blazers made the two-time All-Star available following the Damian Lillard blockbuster deal to the Bucks. Boston ended up dealing Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two future first- round picks for Holiday in the deal before training camp that helped lead the Celtics to a 2024 title.
The Clippers ultimately pivoted to acquiring James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster trade during the 2023-24 season after missing out on Holiday, but the Clippers have failed to make it out of the first round during the last two seasons.
The Clippers don’t have many paths to make major upgrades to their roster this offseason with a depleted draft stash as they try to maximize their team around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in their mid-30s. Holiday’s contract (three years, $104 million remaining) could be an obstacle to completing any deal since that would be a lot of long-term money for the Clippers to take on for an aging player. However, the framework for a possible trade is fairly simple to put together from a money standpoint. MassLive already laid out the possibility as a scenario last week.
The Clippers have reserve guard Bogdan Bogdanovic ($16 million) as a potential salary matching option in a swap. Bogdanovic combined with center Drew Eubanks ($4.75 million) and one other low-cost player (Jordan Miller? Cam Christie?) would be enough outgoing salary for the Clippers to send out to absorb Holiday’s salary ($32.4 million) and satisfy CBA trade matching rules. Whether that type of trade package would satisfy either team involved is another matter.
Holiday is also from Los Angeles and played college basketball at UCLA before the 76ers drafted him in 2009. If the Celtics elect to move on from the guard this offseason, sending him to a team in LA would potentially soften the blow of dealing him just one year after signing him to a four-year extension.
The Mavericks are also reportedly expected to be a suitor for Holiday this summer, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
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