As expected, the Celtics front office continues to make and field calls this offseason as they look to shed salary. Jrue Holiday has been in trade rumors throughout the summer and is expected to be a potential player who could be moved.
Per NBA insider Matt Moore, the price tag for Holiday is starting to become clear from the Boston’s side. The Celtics are reportedly "setting the price at a first-round pick along with whatever reduced salary comes back in the deal." Now, it remains to be seen if the C’s can get that kind of return for Holiday, a two-time champion.
Holiday turns 35 next week but he still has trade value considering his playoff pedigree. While he took a step back during the regular season, it was clear he can still ramp up his play come the postseason. A team looking to take the next step in contention could look to trade for the guard whose defense still makes a huge impact.
However, Holiday still has three years left on his contract, including a $37.2 million player option for the 2027-28 season. That makes him a costly player for the next few seasons for the Celtics, partly why the organization is looking to move him for salary relief.
On the flip side, that’s also an expensive player for any trade, making the financials difficult. The Nets are the only team with the salary cap space that could trade for Holiday’s deal outright. Any other team looking to acquire Holiday would need to send at least $22.5 million to make any trade work out for both sides. So aside from the C’s hoping for draft capital, that’s another potential barrier to consider in any deal.
Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 62 games for the Celtics last season. He battled through some injuries during the regular season as the team sat him for stretches so he could get fully healthy. While Holiday is past his prime, he can still be a playoff contributor, it’s just a question on which team wants to pay the price tag the Celtics are asking for on the market.
“We still have a really, really great opportunity and a great window to be successful and win a championship again,” Holiday said at exit interviews last month. “I think the talent that we have on this team, not only on the court, but the coaching staff all the way up to Brad (Stevens), has been amazing. So, the opportunity to win is now, and I still want to be a part of that.”