Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday were teammates for only two seasons, but they made incredible history together with the Boston Celtics. Tatum made his thoughts on the star guard known on social media following the team’s major trade featuring Holiday.
The Celtics traded Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. This means the guard departs Boston after two seasons, but left a strong impact as he helped the organization achieve the most important goal.
Holiday made 131 regular-season appearances with the Celtics, averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a steal per game. He shot 46.4% from the field, including 39.2% from beyond the arc, and 87.2% from the free-throw line.
He delivered impressive performances in the 2024 playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers and the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. His clutch plays on both sides of the ball helped the Celtics secure Banner 18 with the NBA championship.
Tatum sent a farewell message to Holiday with a story post via Instagram. The photo he used showed the pair during a game as the star forward reflected on the moments they created together, whether it was teammates on the Celtics and Team USA.
“2 gold medals and championship! Forever grateful to have been your teammate. Great player and better person. My dawg for life,” Tatum said.
Jayson Tatum says goodbye to Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis on his Instagram story pic.twitter.com/8zJiS20COp
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) June 25, 2025
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What’s Next For Jayson Tatum, Celtics
It is tough for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics to part ways with Jrue Holiday. Winning the championship in their first year together proved how talented the Boston squad was at full strength.
However, next season will be a mystery for the Celtics. Tatum will likely miss most of the 2025-26 season as he rehabs a torn Achilles, which he suffered in Game 4 of the East Semifinals against the New York Knicks.
With Tatum out, it lowers the ceiling of the squad as they would remain competitive as a playoff contender but not enough to collect silverware. On top of the financial restrictions the Celtics got themselves out of with the trade, they can now significantly retool the roster without worrying about the second apron.
Speaking of which, they also traded Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Georges Niang and a second-round pick. It simply indicated a salary dump as Boston freed themselves from the second apron penalties.
The Celtics will navigate Tatum’s recovery in a timely manner, making sure to not rush him back from injury. However, they will need to revamp the roster this offseason to ensure they can stay in the mix as a title contender in the long term.
