Celtics Trade Jrue Holiday To Portland Trail Blazers For Anfernee Simons: Report

In a major development, latest reports suggest that Jrue Holiday is being traded by the Boston Celtics to the Portland Trail Blazers, just a year after he contributed to the Celtics’ NBA championship win.

Holiday’s acquisition in 2023 was pivotal in securing the Celtics’ NBA-record 18th title, and now he is returning to Portland from a Boston team that may be entering a transitional phase.

Holiday attracted interest from numerous teams around the league, but the Celtics ultimately traded him to Portland in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks.

This is the second time the Blazers have acquired Holiday in a trade. The first occasion was part of the Damian Lillard blockbuster deal with the Bucks prior to the 2023-24 season. At that time, the Blazers were set to rebuild, making a subsequent trade of Holiday inevitable.

The Celtics aimed to reduce payroll this summer, and with Holiday being a significant figure in trade rumours recently, it was not surprising to see the 35-year-old, with three years and $104 million remaining on his contract, being moved.

Holiday’s departure, which was confirmed to AP, comes after he earned his sixth career All-Defensive team selection in his first season with Boston.

During his two-year tenure in Boston, Holiday played 131 games, averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

Holiday was initially traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to Portland in September 2023 when the Bucks acquired perennial All-Star Damian Lillard. Shortly after, Holiday was traded to the Celtics, where he joined the starting lineup and eventually secured his second career title last June.

However, the Celtics will now be without a second member of that starting lineup for at least part of next season, as All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum is undergoing surgery following an Achilles tendon injury sustained during the loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

(with agency inputs)