5 Jrue Holiday replacements for Celtics in 2025 NBA Draft
By Jack Simone
For the past decade, the Boston Celtics roster has shifted time and time again. They’ve been in pursuit of a championship ever since Isaiah Thomas was leading the way. And this past season, they finally achieved their goal. But this core won’t last forever.
Obviously, Al Horford’s retirement is the most pressing matter for Boston. He’s 38 years old and could choose to hang up his sneakers at any point.
That said, Jrue Holiday is also getting up there. Boston just signed him to a four-year extension, but he’s already 34 years old. The Celtics should be planning for life without him as soon as possible.
Whoever they take may not play right away, but here are five potential Holiday replacements the Celtics could target in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Also, it’s important to note that nobody coming out of college will compare to Holiday. All of these options are merely project pieces the Celtics could hope to build into someone similar to the two-time All-Star in terms of skill set.
1. Tyrese Proctor, Duke
While looking for a potential Holiday replacement, the first thing to remember is that they likely won’t see the floor much until the Celtics guard retires. That’s the category Proctor falls under.
Listed at 6-foot-5, the 20-year-old will be entering his junior year at Duke this upcoming season. He played big minutes in each of his first two seasons, but heading back for a third year will help him cement his draft stock. He’s currently projected to be a late-first/early-second-round pick.
Last season, Proctor appeared in 32 games for the Blue Devils, playing 30.4 minutes per contest. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 42.3% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the three-point line.
Proctor has the size and talent to be a solid defender at the NBA level, and if he can elevate all of his skills to their highest levels, he could be a solid project for Boston to help replace Holiday.