In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the Boston Celtics have acquired Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers. As many NBA fans should undoubtedly be aware, this long NBA offseason has been filled with trade discussions and rumors regarding Damian Lillard. Milwaukee ended up acquiring Lillard and had to give up Jrue along with several other assets in a three-team deal which included the Phoenix Suns.
Although it has only been a few days since Jrue was added to the Blazers’ roster, he has been traded yet again by them. This time, the Blazers traded Holiday to the Celtics in order to acquire more assets and players. With that being said, let us take a closer look at the trade details and gain a better understanding of the ongoing situation.
What did the Boston Celtics give up to acquire Jrue Holiday?
The Boston Celtics have undoubtedly been championship contenders over the past few seasons. Ever since Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown emerged as certified NBA stars, the Celtics have gotten closer to an NBA championship every year. However, after their most recent loss to the Miami Heat, it appears that the franchise has decided to make some changes to the roster in order to remain in contention.
They already traded away Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, Boston brought in Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards. Most recently, they made a trade for Jrue Holiday after he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers by the Milwaukee Bucks in return for Damian Lillard.
Although Holiday is 33 years old and likely approaching the backend of his career, Boston decided to give up Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and two future first-round draft picks in order to acquire him from the Blazers.
Boston lands Jrue Holiday from Portland for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two first-round picks, developing story at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/LcKuIJnnT6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 1, 2023
While giving up a sharpshooter and young center to acquire an aging point guard might not make much sense, it is a move that the Celtics have made with the goal of winning an NBA championship. Some might feel that Boston gave up too much in order to acquire Holiday from the Blazers. However, we will have to wait and see how this season unfolds before deciding which side ended up winning this trade.