With the NBA Finals over yesterday, let the offseason dominoes fall. The Boston Celtics are trading away Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. It’s interesting how this happened so soon in the offseason. How does this look for Boston as they look to maintain dominance without their superstar next season? Let’s jump straight into the trade!
Celtics Trade Core Piece
Despite Holiday being one of the best players on the team, the Celtics felt it was time to move on. Holiday, age 34 and entering his 16th season, signed a four-year $134.4 million contract extension on April 10th, 2024, with the last year being a player option. Under the new CBA, it would have been almost impossible to keep the core of Jayson Tatum, Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Jaylen Brown together under their current contracts.
The Trade
With the Celtics deciding to trade the two-time champion to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference, what did they get in return? Simons averaged 19.3 ppg and 4.8 apg on 42.6%, 36.3%, and 90.2% shooting splits. The 26-year-old shooting guard should be eager to join one of the best-run organizations in the NBA.
What Does This Mean for Both Teams?
For the Trail Blazers, it brings a veteran leader in Holiday—someone who is a proven competitor and a player with a championship pedigree. The Blazers had a top-five defensive rating after the All-Star Break. He is still one of the best defenders in the NBA, and someone looking to have a bounce-back season offensively, which the Blazers can flip at the trade deadline next season.
For the Celtics, you add a young, interesting player whose offense can use some tooling. Simons has had a nice career in the NBA, averaging 21, 23, and 19 points per game over the last three seasons. With Tatum suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs against the Knicks, this move is an attempt to salvage next season. You also add another ball handler and a potential piece to trade in the future if he has a standout season.
Final Thoughts
This trade benefits both teams. The Celtics aim to stay in contention in a wide-open Eastern Conference, while Portland brings in a veteran who could be traded at the deadline to aid their rebuild. It seems like just yesterday that the season ended, haha. I’m excited to see what other dominoes fall this offseason! Thank you for checking out my instant reaction to this trade. Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News!
