The Boston Celtics, fresh off a disappointing playoff exit, are reportedly exploring major roster moves—and Jrue Holiday is at the center of it.
According to Jake Fischer, the Celtics are “most definitely listening on calls for” Holiday, who has been the team’s starting point guard for the past two seasons. Holiday played a crucial role in helping the Celtics win the 2024 NBA Championship but is now considered one of the most likely trade candidates as Boston faces a complicated financial future.
Celtics Exploring Options Amid Luxury Tax Pressure
Holiday, 34, was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in September 2023 as part of a major deal that sent Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and two future first-round picks the other way. The move paid off immediately, as Holiday’s elite perimeter defense and veteran leadership helped Boston finally get over the hump.
But things have changed. This season, Holiday dealt with several minor injuries, missing 20 games and posting his lowest scoring average (11.1 points per game) since his rookie year. His three-point shooting also dipped from 42.9% to 35.3%. Despite his still-valuable presence, the Celtics’ second-round loss to the New York Knicks has forced the front office to evaluate its long-term cap situation—especially with Jayson Tatum on a supermax deal and recovering from an Achilles injury that will sideline him next season, and Jaylen Brown also on a supermax contract.
Holiday is under contract for three more years after signing an extension last spring, with an average salary of $34 million through age 37. In the new CBA landscape, that figure looms large for a team with multiple top-tier salaries. Simply put, Boston may no longer be able to afford to keep him—especially with stiff luxury tax repeater penalties ahead.
Western Conference Teams Eyeing Jrue Holiday
While the Celtics aren’t publicly shopping Holiday, multiple reports suggest he’s already generating interest from several Western Conference contenders in need of a veteran guard. As The Athletic’s Jay King reported last month, “his reputation as a known winner and top defender should interest several contending teams if the Celtics do look to move him.”
Holiday’s trade value may be tricky to assess—given both his age and contract—but he’s still one of the league’s most respected two-way guards. For teams without strong free agent options at the position, he offers experience, postseason pedigree, and elite defense.
With the Celtics unlikely to break up their Tatum-Brown core, Holiday represents their cleanest path to making a major change. And based on the latest reporting, Boston is at least willing to listen.
