5 Celtics who are untradeable, 2 they can afford to let go

The Boston Celtics made significant improvements to their roster in the offseason, and it helped them win 15 of their first 20 games. It is a championship or bust season in Beantown. The Celtics have arguably the best top six in the NBA and are eager to improve their roster before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

They have two first-round draft picks and a $6.2 million trade exception to add depth to their roster. Kristaps Porzingis has given Boston a lift, but the front office may try to find a backup big man to use in an emergency. The Celtics believe their top-end talent is enough to win it all, and their front office will be looking to add role players to round out their roster before the deadline.

With one-quarter of the season in the books, who has become expendable on the new-look Celtics? Boston’s acquisitions have fit in nicely, but others may be on the chopping block as the franchise looks to stay in contention for the entirety of Jayson Tatum’s prime.

Cannot afford to trade: Jrue Holiday

The Celtics were ecstatic when Holiday became available. They were a bit light on ball-handling and knew the two-time All-Star would fit perfectly. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and can do a bit of everything on the offensive end.

His numbers are down, but his impact isn’t. Holiday is grabbing a career-high 7.1 rebounds per game and being used more as a floor spacer. The Celtics also have Derrick White to throw on difficult matchups. Holiday can do whatever his team needs and is a key piece of their success.

Jrue Holiday has a $39.4 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign, so the Boston Celtics need to lock him in long-term. They cannot afford to trade the two-time All-Star but may look to move on from their backup point guard.