Jrue Holiday's future with the Boston Celtics is uncertain. It's no secret at this point, and it's no fault of his own. Holiday's contract, which nets him $104 million over the next three seasons (player option in the final year), makes him a prime candidate to be involved in a salary-shedding trade this summer.
"To where?" is the biggest question.
Holiday's contract length mitigates his trade value a bit. It's tough to be thrilled about paying him $37.2 million in that final year, when he'll be 37 years old.
Nonetheless, there have been a few recent reports that teams, like the Dallas Mavericks, are interested in the two-time NBA Champion.
The Clippers are the latest team to have reported interest in Jrue Holiday
The latest report came from MassLive's Brian Robb on Wednesday morning.
"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," Robb reported.
Robb added that the Clippers were one of the teams that Boston had to outbid for Holiday when they traded for him in 2023.
It makes sense. Holiday is still a tremendous defensive player, who can be used both on and off the ball offensively. He's a great fit with an LA team that lacked that sort of two-way guard presence in their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets this spring.
Clippers' owner Steve Balmer is also very willing to spend money in order to field a competitive team, so the hefty contract may not sting as much.
What would a Celtics/Clippers Jrue Holiday trade look like?
Any deal sending Holiday to the Clippers almost certainly has to include Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic is set to make $16 million in the final year of his contract next season, and does a lot of legwork in the financial aspects of any deal.
Here's a template where the Brooklyn Nets and their oodles of cap space get involved to make things easier for everyone:
Celtics receive:
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Kris Dunn
Clippers receive:
Jrue Holiday
Nets receive:
Drew Eubanks
Draft Compensation from both teams
This deal would hypothetically work for everyone. Boston would shed $11 million in salary, while getting two expiring contracts. Plus, both Dunn and Bogdanovic are solid rotation pieces who can still contribute to winning.
The Clippers would get Holiday, who they've coveted for some time, while giving up three expiring deals. There's a chance that Dunn could be a hang-up for them, but they could replace him in the deal with someone like Kobe Brown or Jordan Miller.
Finally, the Nets would get rewarded with some sort of draft capital for helping to ease the deal along.
Why is Jrue Holiday so involved in trade rumors?
Holiday's two seasons with the Celtics have been great. He's done everything the team has asked of him and stepped up in some big moments during the 2024 playoffs. Trading him away isn't the most fun thing to think about.
Unfortunately, it'd be less fun for Boston to be a second apron team again next season. They'd be met with several penalties for spending above the $207 million threshold, while also having to pay an arm and a leg in luxury tax bills.
Offloading Holiday's contract is one of the most efficient ways to shed the nearly $20 million necessary to dive below the second apron line.