Most NBA experts and fans have simply assumed the Boston Celtics will be on a mission to slash payroll this summer, in an attempt to get under the “second apron,” a level of payroll that comes with severe penalties, both financial and in the form of tight restrictions on player trades and signings.
The only way for the Celtics to get under the second apron is to trade away at least some of their high-priced talent, the same players who brought Boston its record 18th NBA championship in 2024, and a 61-win regular season this time around.
Despite reports that the Celtics, at least so far, are not “desperate” to slash their payroll, they are still expected to part with key players. One of the players most frequently mentioned in trade speculation has been 34-year-old, 16-year veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, who was acquired in a trade before the 2023-2024 season and was a crucial part of the Celtics championship run.
Swap of 16-Year Veterans Could be on Table
As so often happens in these sorts of situations, when a star player is believed to be on the trade block, various analysts and pundits have run wild projecting where Holiday will play next season.
But one expert on the Celtics, Barstool Sports writer Dan Greenberg, said on Thursday that he has a feeling about a deal that will take Holiday out of Boston — and all the way across the country.
“Feels like we’re headed for a Jrue for DeRozan swap,” Greenberg wrote — referring to Sacramento Kings small forward Demar DeRozan, himself a 16-year veteran and six-time All-Star.
A one-for-one trade sending Holiday to Sacramento and bringing the 35-year-old DeRozan to Boston would accomplish what the Celtics need, money-wise. DeRozan signed a three-year, $73,890,000 contract with the Chicago Bulls — the team that traded him to Sacramento before the 2024-2025 season — before the 2023-2024 campaign, and he will be owed $24.75 million in the upcoming season.
Holiday on the other hand will cost the Celtics, or any team that acquires him, $32.4 million.
That would leave the Celtics just $13.3 million above the second apron threshold. But the Kings would still be $19 million under the first apron, giving them room to make additional deals without new penalties.
Celtics Would Trade Defense for Offense in Proposed Swap
The idea for the swap of 16-year veterans is based on information from NBA analyst Jake Fischer, who noted that the Kings have a glaring need for an experienced point guard in a Thursday newsletter entry.
He added that other, less expensive players the Kings may target include former Celtic Marcus Smart of the Washington Wizards, and Malcolm Brogdon, yet another former Celtics guard who also spent the past season with Washington.
“New general manager Scott Perry, remember, immediately highlighted the Kings’ need for improved playmaking during his introductory press conference and sources have duly linked Sacramento to various guards known to be available this summer. That list includes Holiday in Boston and Marcus Smart in Washington … and stretches to more affordable free agent ballhandlers like Malcolm Brogdon,” Fischer wrote.
The straight-swap of DeRozan for Holiday make sense financial for both teams. DeRozan brings more scoring to the table than Holiday, averaging 22.2 points per game last season for Sacramento compared to Holiday’s 11.1 in Boston. But what the Kings would lose in offense they could make up on he other end with the defensive-minded Holiday, who has finished in the top eight vote-getters for Defensive Player of the Year five times.
