Jrue Holiday didn’t suit up for the Portland Trail Blazers in his first matchup against the Boston Celtics since being traded back in June. Holiday has spent the past month and a half battling a right calf strain, missing 20 straight games in the process.
Portland’s win over Boston on Sunday brought their record to 13-19. Not exactly the level of winning Holiday has grown accustomed to over the past five seasons in Boston and with the Milwaukee Bucks, although the Blazers were winning more consistently with the veteran guard in the lineup.
Despite the change of scenery, there are no hard feelings towards the Celtics from Holiday, who played a major role in the franchise's 18th NBA Championship in 2024.
“Brad [Stevens] communicated that (a trade was possible), and I appreciate him for it – that it was a possibility,” Holiday told The Athletic’s Jay King. “He even said that it might not happen; we don’t know. So, just the fact that … I mean, Brad being Brad, but him having hard conversations and being able to say something like that, I respect him. I’m really glad that he was able to just give me a fair warning.”
Holiday's exit from Boston was always about financials
The possibility of a trade was glaring for the entire back half of the 2024-25 season. Media then fans started to slowly realize that the Celtics’ salary cap situation wasn’t going to be sustainable. They had too many large contracts and were at risk of their second-apron penalties worsening if they remained above the threshold for a third straight season.
Holiday understood this. So when he was dealt to Portland for Anfernee Simons, he simply accepted that he was part of the necessary change at North Station.
“I think we know basketball a little bit in terms of how the money is and how not everybody can stay,” Holiday explained. “So, we knew that there was going to be a change. You just don’t know what the change might be. I don’t think that I speculated or I saw what was going to happen, where everybody was going to go. No. But I think when you look at it in terms of like the business side of it, yeah, you kind of know that some change is going to happen.”
Boston didn’t save a ton of money up front through the deal. Simons earns just $6 million less than Holiday this season. The real value comes in the upcoming few seasons, where Holiday is still slated to make a combined $72 million.
Honoring that deal would’ve made the cap gymnastics far more difficult for the Celtics, so they elected to take on Simons’ expiring $27 million.
Whether or not they bring the former Blazers guard back on a more team-friendly deal after this season has yet to be seen, but the goal was always avoiding the second apron.
Holiday's enjoyed his time with the Blazers, so far
Meanwhile, for Holiday, the fresh start in Portland has been something he’s enjoyed so far, and he was looking forward to it after he realized the Blazers were going to keep him on board to lead their younger core of players.
“It was exciting for something new,” Holiday voiced. “It was exciting, especially me at my ripe old age, to be able to come into a situation where I could teach a little more and be a lot more of an example. And then, we had some injuries early, Scoot [Henderson] was out early, and I got to play a lot. So, that was also really fun.”
Through 12 appearances for the Trail Blazers, Holiday has averaged 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Despite the increase in responsibility, his efficiency hasn’t dipped, either. The 35-year-old has made 44.6% of his attempts from the field, and 36.5% from beyond the arc -- both improved from his final season in Boston.
Portland got off to a 6-6 start with the two-time All-Star, and has won just seven of their 20 contests without him.
Hopefully for him and the Blazers, he’ll be back on the court soon.