Former Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is slated to miss at least 1-2 weeks due to a calf injury, as that is when he will be re-evaluated. Holiday has enjoyed a solid season with the Portland Trail Blazers so far this season, but this injury could put a small dent in things, which could be a warning sign for the Blazers.
Holiday is 35 years old. He likely only has a few NBA seasons left in the tank. There is a reason the Celtics traded him this summer, and the Blazers could be on the brink of learning that reason: Not only does Holiday make a ton of money, but he is also a risk to miss time as he continues to age.
That’s what the Blazers have to deal with now.
Blazers learning why Celtics traded Jrue Holiday
Obviously, Holiday’s age and the amount of money he makes are their own factors, but his potential for injury is another. It even affected the initial trade between the Celtics and the Blazers.
Originally, the Celtics traded Holiday to Portland in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. However, due to an issue with Holiday’s physical, the seconds were removed, and the deal became a straight-up, one-for-one swap: Holiday for Simons.
Since then, Simons has endured a few bumps in fitting in with Boston, primarily due to his deficiencies on the defensive end. That said, he’s been improving as of late.
As for Holiday, he’s been an integral part of what the Blazers have built this season. They’ve been in the mix for a playoff spot, and Holiday’s play has been important to that success.
So far this season, Holiday has appeared in 12 games, playing 33.4 minutes per contest, which is the third-most on the team and the most he has played since his 2019-20 campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Holiday has averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 44.6% from the floor and 36.5% from deep on a career-high 7.1 three-point attempts per game.
His contributions to winning have done wonders for the Blazers, positioning them for their best season since Damian Lillard left, but now, they’re going to have to live with his absence.
Holiday is only getting older, and though the Celtics primarily traded him because they wanted to gett off of his contract, his risk for injury is another factor to note. And Portland is learning that lesson right now.